Handheld electronic device

ABSTRACT

A portable electronic device may include a housing, a display at least partially within the housing, a front cover coupled to the housing and positioned over the display, and a biometric sensor module configured to illuminate an object and capture an image of the object through the front cover. The biometric sensor module may include a first lens positioned below the front cover, a first light source positioned below the first lens and configured to project, through the first lens, a dot pattern on the object, a second light source positioned below the first lens and configured to illuminate, through the first lens, the object with a flood of light, a second lens positioned below the front cover, and a light sensor positioned below the second lens and configured to capture an image of the object.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a nonprovisional patent application of and claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/155,693, filedMar. 2, 2021 and titled “Handheld Electronic Device,” U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 63/170,327, filed Apr. 2, 2021 and titled“Handheld Electronic Device,” and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 63/208,477, filed Jun. 8, 2021 and titled “Handheld ElectronicDevice,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

FIELD

The subject matter of this disclosure relates generally to handheldelectronic devices, and more particularly, to mobile phones.

BACKGROUND

Modern consumer electronic devices take many shapes and forms, and havenumerous uses and functions. Smartphones, for example, provide variousways for users to interact with other people that extend beyondtelephone communications. Such devices may include numerous systems tofacilitate such interactions. For example, a smartphone may include atouch-sensitive display for providing graphical outputs and foraccepting touch inputs, wireless communications systems for connectingwith other devices to send and receive voice and data content, camerasfor capturing photographs and videos, and so forth. However, integratingthese subsystems into a compact and reliable product that is able towithstand daily use presents a variety of technical challenges. Thesystems and techniques described herein may address many of thesechallenges while providing a device that offers a wide range offunctionality.

SUMMARY

A portable electronic device may include a housing, a display at leastpartially within the housing, a front cover coupled to the housing andpositioned over the display, and a biometric sensor module configured toilluminate an object and capture an image of the object through thefront cover. The biometric sensor module may include a first lenspositioned below the front cover, a first light source positioned belowthe first lens and configured to project, through the first lens, a dotpattern on the object, a second light source positioned below the firstlens and configured to illuminate, through the first lens, the objectwith a flood of light, a second lens positioned below the front cover,and a light sensor positioned below the second lens and configured tocapture an image of the object. The object may be a user's face, and theportable electronic device may be configured to determine a depth map ofthe user's face using the dot pattern projected onto the user's face andauthenticate the user based at least in part on the depth map of theuser's face.

The first light source may project infrared light, the flood of lightmay be infrared light, and the light sensor may be an infrared lightsensor. The first light source may be positioned below a central regionof the first lens and the second light source may be positioned below aperipheral region of the first lens. Light from the first light sourcepassing through the central region of the first lens may be rendered infocus on the object, and light from the second light source passingthrough the peripheral region of the first lens may be rendered out offocus on the object.

The biometric sensor module may include a housing structure and thefirst lens, the first light source, the second lens, the second lightsource, and the light sensor may be positioned at least partially withinthe housing structure. The second light source may include a radialarray of light-emitting elements.

A mobile phone may include a housing, a display at least partiallywithin the housing, a front cover coupled to the housing and positionedover the display, and a light emitter below the front cover andconfigured to emit light through the front cover. The light emitter mayinclude a first lens positioned below the front cover, a first lightsource positioned below a central region of the first lens, and a secondlight source positioned below a peripheral region of the first lens. Themobile phone may further include a light receiver below the front coverand including a second lens positioned below the front cover andconfigured to receive light through the front cover and a light sensorpositioned below the second lens.

The first light source may be aligned with an optical axis of the firstlens and the second light source may be offset from the optical axis ofthe first lens. The central region of the first lens may be configuredto focus a pattern of light emitted by the first light source onto anobject and the peripheral region of the first lens may be configured toblur light emitted by the second light source. The pattern of light maybe a grid of discrete points of infrared light. The light emitted by thesecond light source may be configured to illuminate the object with aflood of infrared light. The light receiver may be configured to capturean infrared image of the object while the pattern of light is focused onthe object. The light emitter and the light receiver may be positionedat least partially within a housing structure of a biometric sensormodule.

A portable electronic device may include a housing, a display at leastpartially within the housing, a front cover coupled to the housing andpositioned over the display, and a biometric sensor module configured toilluminate a face of a user and to capture an image of the face of theuser through the front cover. The biometric sensor module may include ahousing structure, a first lens at least partially within the housingstructure, a light sensor positioned below the first lens, a second lensat least partially within the housing structure, a first light sourcepositioned below the second lens and configured to project a firstillumination pattern on the face of the user, and a second light sourcepositioned below the second lens and configured to project a secondillumination pattern of light that, when reflected off of the object andcaptured by the light sensor, produces an image of the object.

The first illumination pattern may be a set of discrete points of light.The first light source may be an infrared laser light source. Theinfrared laser light source may be a first infrared laser light sourceand the second light source may be a second infrared laser light source.The first infrared laser light source may be a first vertical-cavitysurface-emitting laser and the second infrared laser light source may bea second vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. The first light sourcemay be positioned below a central region of the second lens, the secondlight source may be positioned below a peripheral region of the secondlens, and the peripheral region of the second lens may be configured toblur light emitted by the second light source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIGS. 1A-1B depict an example electronic device;

FIGS. 1C-1D depict another example electronic device;

FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of an example electronic device;

FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of an example electronic device;

FIGS. 4A-4B depict a portion of an example electronic device;

FIG. 4C depicts a partial exploded view of an example electronic device;

FIG. 5 depicts an example cover structure for a speaker port of anexample electronic device;

FIGS. 6A-6B depict partial cross-sectional views of a speakerconfiguration for an example electronic device;

FIG. 6C depicts a partial cross-sectional view of another examplespeaker configuration for an example electronic device;

FIG. 7A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a microphoneconfiguration for an example electronic device;

FIG. 7B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of another microphoneconfiguration for an example electronic device;

FIG. 7C depicts an exploded view of the microphone configuration of FIG.7B;

FIGS. 8A-8C depict partial views of example electronic devices,illustrating example speaker port configurations;

FIG. 9A depicts a partial view of an example front-facing sensor regionof an example electronic device;

FIG. 9B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example device,illustrating a portion of a front-facing sensor region of the exampleelectronic device;

FIG. 9C depicts a partial view of an example front-facing sensor regionof another example electronic device;

FIGS. 9D-9F depict partial cross-sectional views of front-facing sensorregions of example electronic devices;

FIG. 9G depicts an example front-facing camera of an example electronicdevice;

FIG. 9H depicts an exploded view of a portion of a front-facing sensorregion of an example electronic device;

FIGS. 10A-10C depict partial cross-sectional views of an exampleelectronic device, illustrating an example combination flood illuminatorand dot projector configuration;

FIG. 11A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating an example ambient light sensor;

FIGS. 11B-11C depict a portion of an example electronic device,illustrating an operation of the example ambient light sensor;

FIGS. 12A-12B depict example electrode patterns on example electronicdevices;

FIGS. 13A-13C depict partial cross-sectional views of example electronicdevices, illustrating example display potting configurations;

FIG. 13D depicts a partial view of an example electronic device,illustrating an example display potting configuration;

FIG. 13E depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating an example display potting configuration;

FIG. 13F depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating an example cover configuration;

FIGS. 13G-13L depict partial cross-sectional views of example covers forelectronic devices;

FIG. 13M depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating an example adhesive for attaching a display to acover;

FIG. 13N depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating an example configuration for mounting a top moduleto a housing;

FIG. 14A depicts a partial view of an example electronic device;

FIGS. 14B-14D depict an example side-fired antenna for an electronicdevice;

FIG. 15 depicts example antenna feed and ground points for an electronicdevice;

FIG. 16A depicts a partial view of a housing member for an electronicdevice;

FIG. 16B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a housing of anelectronic device including the housing member of FIG. 16A;

FIG. 16C depicts a partial view of a housing member for an electronicdevice;

FIG. 16D depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a housing of anelectronic device including the housing member of FIG. 16C;

FIG. 16E depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a housing of anelectronic device including the housing members of FIG. 16A and FIG.16C;

FIG. 17A depicts a portion of an electronic device illustrating anexample arrangement of camera modules in an example electronic device;

FIGS. 17B-17C depict the camera modules of FIG. 17A;

FIG. 17D depicts a portion of an example electronic device with cameramodules removed;

FIGS. 17E-17F depict a spring member for use with camera modules for anelectronic device;

FIG. 17G depicts a portion of an electronic device, illustrating anexample arrangement of components in the device;

FIG. 17H depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example mountingconfiguration for a shroud of an electronic device;

FIG. 17I depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example mountingconfiguration for attaching components to an electronic device;

FIG. 18A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating an example depth sensor configuration;

FIG. 18B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating another example depth sensor configuration;

FIG. 18C depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating another example depth sensor configuration;

FIG. 19A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating an example rear camera configuration;

FIG. 19B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating an example arrangement of a window trim in a rearcover of the electronic device;

FIG. 19C depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice, illustrating another example arrangement of a window trim in arear cover of the electronic device;

FIG. 20A depicts a flash module of an example electronic device;

FIG. 20B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the flash module ofFIG. 20A;

FIG. 20C depicts a partial cross-sectional view of another example flashmodule;

FIGS. 20D-20G depict partial cross-sectional views of example flashmodules for electronic devices;

FIG. 21A depicts an example logic board for an electronic device;

FIG. 21B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the logic board ofFIG. 21A;

FIG. 21C depicts a partial cross-sectional view of another example logicboard;

FIG. 21D depicts a partial cross-sectional view of another example logicboard;

FIG. 21E depicts a partial view of an example fastening configurationfor a logic board;

FIG. 21F depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the logic board ofFIG. 21A, illustrating the fastening configuration shown in FIG. 21E;

FIGS. 21G-21I depict another example logic board;

FIG. 22A depicts a portion of an electronic device with a battery showndetached from a housing;

FIG. 22B depicts an example adhesive configuration for attaching abattery to a housing of an electronic device;

FIG. 22C depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an adhesive stack forattaching a battery to a housing of an electronic device;

FIGS. 22D-22F depict example adhesive configurations for attaching abattery to a housing of an electronic device;

FIGS. 22G-22H depict example battery mounting structures for attaching abattery to an electronic device;

FIG. 23A depicts a partial view of an electronic device, illustrating anexample arrangement of a sensor module relative to a housing member;

FIGS. 23B-23G depict example configurations of sensor modules havingmultiple sensing components sharing common volumes; and

FIG. 24 depicts a schematic diagram of an example electronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included withinthe spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by theappended claims.

Mobile phones as described herein may include complex, sophisticatedcomponents and systems that facilitate a multitude of functions. Forexample, mobile phones according to the instant disclosure may includetouch- and/or force-sensitive displays, numerous cameras (including bothfront- and rear-facing cameras), GPS systems, haptic actuators, wirelesscharging systems, and all requisite computing components and software tooperate these (and other) systems and otherwise provide thefunctionality of the mobile phones.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example electronic device 100 embodied as amobile phone. FIG. 1A illustrates a front of the device 100, while FIG.1B illustrates a back side of the device. While the device 100 is amobile phone, the concepts presented herein may apply to any appropriateelectronic devices, including portable electronic devices, wearabledevices (e.g., watches), laptop computers, handheld gaming devices,tablet computers, computing peripherals (e.g., mice, touchpads,keyboards), or any other device. Accordingly, any reference to an“electronic device” encompasses any and all of the foregoing.

The electronic device 100 includes a cover 102 (e.g., a front cover),such as a glass, glass-ceramic, ceramic, plastic, sapphire, or othersubstantially transparent material, component, or assembly, attached toa housing 104 (which may include a housing structure defined by one ormore housing members). The cover 102 may be positioned over a display103. The cover 102 may be formed from glass (e.g., a chemicallystrengthened glass), sapphire, ceramic, glass-ceramic, plastic, oranother suitable material. The cover 102 may be formed as a monolithicor unitary sheet. The cover 102 may also be formed as a composite ofmultiple layers of different materials, coatings, and other elements.

The display 103 may be at least partially positioned within the interiorvolume of the housing 104. The display 103 may be coupled to the cover102, such as via an adhesive or other coupling scheme. The display 103may include a liquid-crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode, anorganic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an active layer organiclight emitting diode (AMOLED) display, an organic electroluminescent(EL) display, an electrophoretic ink display, or the like. The display103 may be configured to display graphical outputs, such as graphicaluser interfaces, that the user may view and interact with. The device100 may also include an ambient light sensor that can determineproperties of the ambient light conditions surrounding the device 100.Example ambient light sensors are described herein with respect to FIGS.11A-11C. The device 100 may use information from the ambient lightsensor to change, modify, adjust, or otherwise control the display 103(e.g., by changing a hue, brightness, saturation, or other opticalaspect of the display based on information from the ambient lightsensor).

The display 103 may include or be associated with one or more touch-and/or force-sensing systems. In some cases, components of the touch-and/or force-sensing systems are integrated with the display stack. Forexample, electrode layers of a touch and/or force sensor may be providedin a stack that includes display components (and is optionally attachedto or at least viewable through the cover 102). The touch- and/orforce-sensing systems may use any suitable type of sensing technology,including capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, surface acoustic wavesensors, piezoelectric sensors, strain gauges, or the like. The outer orexterior surface of the cover 102 may define an input surface (e.g., atouch- and/or force-sensitive input surface) of the device. While bothtouch- and force-sensing systems may be included, in some cases thedevice 100 includes a touch-sensing system and does not include aforce-sensing system.

The device 100 may also include a front-facing camera 106. Thefront-facing camera 106 may be positioned below or otherwise coveredand/or protected by the cover 102. The front-facing camera 106 may haveany suitable operational parameters. For example, the front-facingcamera 106 may include a 12 megapixel sensor (with 1 micron pixel size),and an 80-90° field of view. The front-facing camera 106 may have fixedfocus optical elements with an aperture number of f/2.2. Other types ofcameras may also be used for the front-facing camera 106, such asauto-focus cameras.

The front-facing camera 106 may be positioned in a front-facing sensorregion 111. The front-facing sensor region 111 may be positioned in anotch-like area of the front of the device 100. In some cases, asdescribed herein, the front-facing sensor region 111 may be positionedin or defined by a recessed area of the display 103 (e.g., an area thatis not occupied by the display or by a visually active portion of thedisplay). In some cases, the front-facing sensor region 111 includes amask or other visually opaque component or treatment that definesopenings for the sensors. In some cases, one or more of the sensors orother devices in the front-facing sensor region 111 (e.g., thefront-facing camera 106) are aligned with a hole formed through one ormore layers of the display 103 to provide optical access to the sensor.The front-facing sensor region 111 may include components such as aflood illuminator module, a proximity sensor module, an infrared lightprojector, an infrared image capture device, and the front-facing camera106.

The device 100 may also include one or more buttons (e.g., button 120,and buttons 116 in FIG. 1B), switches (e.g., switch 118, FIG. 1B),and/or other physical input systems. Such input systems may be used tocontrol power states (e.g., the button 120), change speaker volume(e.g., the buttons 116), switch between “ring” and “silent” modes, andthe like (e.g., the switch 118).

The device 100 may also include a speaker port 110 to provide audiooutput to a user, such as to a user's ear during voice calls. Thespeaker port 110 may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver port,or an earpiece in the context of a mobile phone. The device 100 may alsoinclude a charging port 112 (e.g., for receiving a connector of a powercable for providing power to the device 100 and charging the battery ofthe device 100). The device 100 may also include audio openings 114. Theaudio openings 114 may allow sound output from an internal speakersystem (e.g., the speaker system 224, FIG. 2 ) to exit the housing 104.The device 100 may also include one or more microphones. In some cases,a microphone within the housing 104 may be acoustically coupled to thesurrounding environment through an audio opening 114.

The housing 104 may be a multi-piece housing. For example, the housing104 may be formed from multiple housing members 124, 125, 126, 127, 128,and 130, which are structurally coupled together via one or more jointstructures 122 (e.g., 122-1-122-6). Together, the housing members 124,125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 and the joint structures 122 may define aband-like housing structure that defines four side walls (and thus fourexterior side surfaces) of the device 100. Thus, both the housingmembers and the joint structures define portions of the exterior sidesurfaces of the device 100.

The housing members 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 may be formed of aconductive material (e.g., a metal such as aluminum, stainless steel, orthe like), and the joint structures 122 may be formed of one or morepolymer materials (e.g., glass-reinforced polymer). The joint structures122 may include two or more molded elements, which may be formed ofdifferent materials. For example, an inner molded element may be formedof a first material (e.g., a polymer material), and an outer moldedelement may be formed of a second material that is different from thefirst (e.g., a different polymer material). The materials may havedifferent properties, which may be selected based on the differentfunctions of the inner and outer molded elements. For example, the innermolded element may be configured to make the main structural connectionbetween housing members, and may have a higher mechanical strengthand/or toughness than the outer molded element. On the other hand, theouter molded element may be configured to have a particular appearance,surface finish, chemical resistance, water-sealing function, or thelike, and its composition may be selected to prioritize those functionsover mechanical strength.

In some cases, one or more of the housing members 124, 125, 126, 127,128, and 130 (or portions thereof) are configured to operate as antennas(e.g., members that are configured to transmit and/or receiveelectromagnetic waves to facilitate wireless communications with othercomputers and/or devices). To facilitate the use of the housing membersas antennas, feed and ground lines may be conductively coupled to thehousing members to couple the housing members to other antennas and/orcommunication circuitry. FIG. 11 , described in more detail below,depicts example antenna feed and ground lines for an example device.Further, the joint structures 122 may be substantially non-conductive toprovide suitable separation and/or electrical isolation between thehousing members (which may be used to tune the radiating portions,reduce capacitive coupling between radiating portions and otherstructures, and the like). In addition to the housing members 124, 125,126, 127, 128, and 130, the device 100 may also include various internalantenna elements that are configured to transmit and receive wirelesscommunication signals through various regions of the housing 104. Asshown in FIG. 1A, the device 100 may include an antenna window 129 thatallows for the passage of radio-frequency communication signals througha corresponding region of the housing 104.

The joint structures 122 may be mechanically interlocked with thehousing members to structurally couple the housing members and form astructural housing assembly. Further details about the joint structures122 and their mechanical integration with the housing members areprovided herein.

The exterior surfaces of the housing members 124, 125, 126, 127, 128,and 130 may have substantially a same color, surface texture, andoverall appearance as the exterior surfaces of the joint structures 122.In some cases, the exterior surfaces of the housing members 124, 125,126, 127, 128, and 130 and the exterior surfaces of the joint structures122 are subjected to at least one common finishing procedure, such asabrasive-blasting, machining, polishing, grinding, or the like.Accordingly, the exterior surfaces of the housing members and the jointstructures may have a same or similar surface finish (e.g., surfacetexture, roughness, pattern, etc.). In some cases, the exterior surfacesof the housing members and the joint structures may be subjected to atwo-stage blasting process to produce the target surface finish.

FIG. 1A also includes an example coordinate system 101 that may definedirections with reference to the device 100 (or other electronic devicesdescribed herein). The coordinate system 101 defines a positive xdirection, a positive y direction, and a positive z direction. Unlessstated otherwise, references herein to a positive x, positive y, orpositive z direction will be understood to refer generally to thecoordinate system 101 and its relationship to the device 100 in FIG. 1A.Negative x, y, and z directions will be understood to be opposite to thepositive x, y, and z directions shown in the coordinate system in FIG.1A.

FIG. 1B illustrates a back side of the device 100. The device 100 mayinclude a back or rear cover 132 coupled to the housing 104 and definingat least a portion of the exterior rear surface of the device 100. Therear cover 132 may include a substrate formed of glass, though othersuitable materials may alternatively be used (e.g., plastic, sapphire,ceramic, glass-ceramic, etc.). The rear cover 132 may include one ormore decorative layers on the exterior or interior surface of thesubstrate. For example, one or more opaque layers may be applied to theinterior surface of the substrate (or otherwise positioned along theinterior surface of the substrate) to provide a particular appearance tothe back side of the device 100. The opaque layer(s) may include asheet, ink, dye, or combinations of these (or other) layers, materials,or the like. In some cases the opaque layer(s) have a color thatsubstantially matches a color of the housing 104 (e.g., the exteriorsurfaces of the housing members and the joint structures). The device100 may include a wireless charging system, whereby the device 100 canbe powered and/or its battery recharged by an inductive (or otherelectromagnetic) coupling between a charger and a wireless chargingsystem within the device 100. In such cases, the rear cover 132 may beformed of a material that allows and/or facilitates the wirelesscoupling between the charger and the wireless charging system (e.g.,glass).

The device 100 may also include a sensor array 134, which may includevarious types of sensors, including one or more rear-facing cameras,depth sensing devices, flashes, microphones, and the like. The sensorarray 134 may be at least partially defined by a protrusion 137 thatextends from the rear of the device 100. The protrusion 137 may define aportion of the rear exterior surface of the device 100, and may at leastpartially define a raised sensor array region of the sensor array 134.In some cases, the protrusion 137 may be formed by attaching a piece ofmaterial (e.g., glass) to another piece of material (e.g., glass). Inother cases, the rear cover 132 may include a monolithic structure, andthe protrusion 137 may be part of the monolithic structure. For example,the rear cover 132 may include a monolithic glass structure (or glassceramic structure) that defines the protrusion 137 as well as thesurrounding area. In such cases, the protrusion 137 may be an area ofincreased thickness of the monolithic structure, or it may be moldedinto a substantially uniform thickness monolithic structure (e.g., andmay correspond to a recessed region along an interior side of themonolithic structure).

The device may also include, as part of the sensor array, one or morerear-facing devices, which may include an ambient-light sensor (ALS), amicrophone, and/or a depth sensing device that is configured to estimatea distance between the device 100 and a separate object or target. Thesensor array 134 may also include multiple cameras, such as a firstcamera 138 and a second camera 139. The first camera 138 may include asuper-wide camera having a 12 megapixel sensor and a wide field of view(e.g., 120° FOV) optical stack with an aperture number of f/2.4; thesecond camera 139 may include a wide view camera having a 12 megapixelsensor and an aperture number of f/1.6. In some cases, the sensor array134 may include a telephoto lens having a 12 megapixel sensor with a 3×optical zoom optical stack having an aperture number ranging from f/2.0to f/2.8 (e.g., in addition to the first and second cameras 138, 139, orin place of one of the first or second cameras). One or more of thecameras (e.g., cameras 138, 139) of the sensor array 134 may alsoinclude optical image stabilization, whereby the lens is dynamicallymoved relative to a fixed structure within the device 100 to reduce theeffects of “camera shake” on images captured by the camera. Thecamera(s) may also perform optical image stabilization by moving theimage sensor relative to a fixed lens or optical assembly. One or moreof the cameras may include autofocus functionality, in which one or morelens elements (and/or sensors) are movable to focus an image on asensor.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the cameras of the sensor array 134 may bepositioned diagonally with respect to the protrusion 137 (e.g., theraised sensor array). For example, a first hole may extend through therear cover 132 at a location proximate a first corner region of thesenor array 134, and the first camera 138 may be positioned at leastpartially in the first hole, and a second hole may extend through therear cover 132 at a location proximate a second corner region diagonalfrom the first corner region of the sensor array 134, and the secondcamera 139 may be positioned at least partially in the second hole.Thus, the first and second holes, and therefore the first and secondcameras, may be positioned along a diagonal path from the first cornerto the second corner of the sensor array 134.

The second camera 139 may have an image sensor with a pixel size betweenabout 1.5 microns and about 2.0 microns, and the first camera 138 mayhave an image sensor with a pixel size between about 0.8 microns andabout 1.4 microns. If a camera with a telephoto lens is provided, it mayhave an image sensor with a pixel size between about 0.8 microns andabout 1.4 microns.

The sensor array 134, along with associated processors and software, mayprovide several image-capture features. For example, the sensor array134 may be configured to capture full-resolution video clips of acertain duration each time a user captures a still image. As usedherein, capturing full-resolution images (e.g., video images or stillimages) may refer to capturing images using all or substantially all ofthe pixels of an image sensor, or otherwise capturing images using themaximum resolution of the camera (regardless of whether the maximumresolution is limited by the hardware or software).

The captured video clips may be associated with the still image. In somecases, users may be able to select individual frames from the video clipas the representative still image associated with the video clip. Inthis way, when the user takes a snapshot of a scene, the camera willactually record a short video clip (e.g., 1 second, 2 seconds, or thelike), and the user can select the exact frame from the video to use asthe captured still image (in addition to simply viewing the video clipas a video).

The cameras of the sensor array 134 may also have or provide ahigh-dynamic-range (HDR) mode, in which the camera captures imageshaving a dynamic range of luminosity that is greater than what iscaptured when the camera is not in the HDR mode. In some cases, thesensor array 134 automatically determines whether to capture images inan HDR or non-HDR mode. Such determination may be based on variousfactors, such as the ambient light of the scene, detected ranges ofluminosity, tone, or other optical parameters in the scene, or the like.HDR images may be produced by capturing multiple images, each usingdifferent exposure or other image-capture parameters, and producing acomposite image from the multiple captured images.

The sensor array 134 may also include or be configured to operate in anobject detection mode, in which a user can select (and/or the device 100can automatically identify) objects within a scene to facilitate thoseobjects being processed, displayed, or captured differently than otherparts of the scene. For example, a user may select (or the device 100may automatically identify) a person's face in a scene, and the device100 may focus on the person's face while selectively blurring theportions of the scene other than the person's face. Notably, featuressuch as the HDR mode and the object detection mode may be provided witha single camera (e.g., a single lens and sensor).

The sensor array may include a flash 136 that is configured toilluminate a scene to facilitate capturing images with the sensor array134. The flash 136 may include one or more light sources, such as one ormore light emitting diodes (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, or more LEDs). The flash136, in conjunction with the sensor array 134 or other systems of thedevice 100, may adjust the color temperature of the light emitted by thelight sources in order to match or otherwise adapt to a colortemperature within a scene being captured. The device 100 may also beconfigured to operate the flash 136 and the shutter of the sensor array134 (e.g., the shutter of one or more of the cameras 138, 139) to avoidconsequences of flash “flicker.” For example, the device 100 may avoidcapturing exposures during moments where the flash 136 is at a period ofno or low illumination (e.g., which may be caused by discontinuous orpulsed operation of the LEDs).

The sensor array 134 may also include a microphone 135. The microphone135 may be acoustically coupled to the exterior environment through ahole defined in the rear cover of the device 100 (e.g., through theportion of the rear cover that defines the protrusion 137).

FIGS. 1C and 1D show another example electronic device 140 embodied as amobile phone. The electronic device 140 may have many of the same orsimilar outward-facing components as the electronic device 100.Accordingly, descriptions and details of such components from FIGS.1A-1B (e.g., displays, buttons, switches, housings, covers, chargingports, joint structures, etc.) apply equally to the correspondingcomponents shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D.

While the device 100 in FIG. 1B is shown as including a sensor array 134with two cameras, the device 140 as shown in FIG. 1D includes a sensorarray 141 that includes three cameras (as shown, for example, in FIG. 3, described herein). The sensor array 141 may be in a sensor arrayregion that is defined by a protrusion 151 in a rear cover of the device140. The protrusion 151 may have the same or similar construction as theprotrusion 137 in FIG. 1B.

A first camera 142 may include a 12 megapixel sensor and a telephotolens with a 3× optical zoom and an aperture number of f/2.8; a secondcamera 144 may include a 12 megapixel sensor and a wide angle lenshaving an aperture number of f/1.5; and a third camera 146 may include a12 megapixel sensor and a super-wide camera with a wide field of view(e.g., 120° FOV) and an aperture number of f/1.8. One or more of thecameras of the sensor array 141 may also include optical imagestabilization, whereby the lens is dynamically moved relative to a fixedstructure within the device 100 to reduce the effects of “camera shake”on images captured by the camera. The camera(s) may also perform opticalimage stabilization by moving the image sensor relative to a fixed lensor optical assembly.

The first camera 142 may include an image sensor with a pixel sizebetween about 0.8 microns and about 1.4 microns. The second camera 144may include an image sensor with a pixel size between about 1.6 micronsand about 2.3 microns. The third camera 146 may include an image sensorwith a pixel size between about 0.8 microns and about 1.4 microns.

For example, a wide view camera having a 12 megapixel sensor and anaperture number of f/1.6 may have an image sensor with a pixel sizebetween about 1.5 microns and about 2.0 microns; a super-wide camerahaving a 12 megapixel sensor and a wide field of view (e.g., 120° FOV)optical stack with an aperture number of f/2.4 may have an image sensorwith a pixel size between about 0.8 microns and about 1.4 microns; and atelephoto lens having a 12 megapixel sensor with a 3× optical zoomoptical stack having an aperture number ranging from f/2.0 to f/2.8 mayhave an image sensor with a pixel size between about 0.8 microns andabout 1.4 microns. One or more of the cameras may include autofocusfunctionality, in which one or more lens elements (and/or sensors) aremovable to focus an image on a sensor.

The sensor array 141 may also include a depth sensing device 149 that isconfigured to estimate a distance between the device and a separateobject or target. The depth sensing device 149 may estimate a distancebetween the device and a separate object or target using lasers andtime-of-flight calculations, or using other types of depth sensingcomponents or techniques.

The device 140 may also include a flash 148 that is configured toilluminate a scene to facilitate capturing images with the cameras ofthe sensor array 141. The flash 148 is configured to illuminate a sceneto facilitate capturing images with the sensor array 141. The flash 148may include one or more light sources, such as one or more lightemitting diodes (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, or more LEDs).

The sensor array 141 may also include a microphone 150. The microphone150 may be acoustically coupled to the exterior environment through ahole defined in the rear cover of the device 140 (e.g., through theportion of the rear cover that defines the protrusion 151).

Other details about the sensor array, the individual cameras of thesensor array, and/or the flash described with respect to the device 100may be applicable to the sensor array, the individual cameras, and/orthe flash of the device 140, and such details will not be repeated hereto avoid redundancy.

FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of an example electronic device. Inparticular, FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of a device 200, showingvarious components of the device 200 and example arrangements andconfigurations of the components. The description of the variouscomponents and elements of device 100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B may also beapplicable to the device 200 depicted in FIG. 2 . A redundantdescription of some of the components is not repeated herein forclarity.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the device 200 includes a cover 202 (e.g., a frontcover), which may be formed of glass, ceramic, or other transparentsubstrate. In this example, the cover 202 may be formed from a glass orglass-ceramic material. A glass-ceramic material may include bothamorphous and crystalline or non-amorphous phases of one or morematerials and may be formulated to improve strength or other propertiesof the cover 202. In some cases, the cover 202 may include a sheet ofchemically strengthened glass or glass-ceramic having one or morecoatings including an anti-reflective (AR) coating, an oleophobiccoating, or other type of coating or optical treatment. In some cases,the cover 202 includes a sheet of material that is less than 1 mm thick.In some cases, the sheet of material is less than 0.80 mm. In somecases, the sheet of material is approximately 0.60 mm or less. The cover202 may be chemically strengthened using an ion exchange process to forma compressive stress layer along exterior surfaces of the cover 202.

The cover 202 extends over a substantial entirety of the front surfaceof the device and may be positioned within an opening defined by thehousing 210. As described in more detail below, the edges or sides ofthe cover 202 may be surrounded by a protective flange or lip of thehousing 210 without an interstitial component between the edges of thecover 202 and the respective flanges of the housing 210. Thisconfiguration may allow an impact or force applied to the housing 210 tobe transferred to the cover 202 without directly transferring shearstress through the display 203 or frame 204.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the display 203 is attached to an internal surfaceof the cover 202. The display 203 may include an edge-to-edge organiclight emitting diode (OLED) display that measures 13.7 cm (5.4 inches)corner-to-corner. The perimeter or non-active area of the display 203may be reduced to allow for very thin device borders around the activearea of the display 203. In some cases, the display 203 allows forborder regions of 1.5 mm or less. In some cases, the display 203 allowsfor border regions of 1 mm or less. In one example implementation, theborder region is approximately 0.9 mm. The display 203 may have arelatively high pixel density of approximately 450 pixels per inch (PPI)or greater. In some cases, the display 203 has a pixel density ofapproximately 475 PPI. The display 203 may have an integrated (on-cell)touch-sensing system. For example, an array of electrodes that areintegrated into the OLED display may be time and/or frequencymultiplexed in order to provide both display and touch-sensingfunctionality. The electrodes may be configured to detect a location ofa touch, a gesture input, multi-touch input, or other types of touchinput along the external surface of the cover 202. In some cases, thedisplay 203 includes another type of display element, such as aliquid-crystal display (LCD) without an integrated touch-sensing system.That is, the device 200 may include one or more touch- and/orforce-sensing layers that are positioned between the display 203 and thecover 202.

The display 203, also referred to as a display stack, may includealways-on-display (AOD) functionality. For example, the display 203 maybe configurable to allow designated regions or subsets of pixels to bedisplayed when the device 200 is powered on such that graphical contentis visible to the user even when the device 200 is in a low-power orsleep mode. This may allow the time, date, battery status, recentnotifications, and other graphical content to be displayed in alower-power or sleep mode. This graphical content may be referred to aspersistent or always-on graphical output. While some battery power maybe consumed when displaying persistent or always-on graphical output,the power consumption is typically less than during normal or full-poweroperation of the display 203. This functionality may be enabled by onlyoperating a subset of the display pixels and/or at a reduced resolutionin order to reduce power consumption by the display 203.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the device 200 may also include a frame member 204,also referred to simply as a frame 204, that is positioned below thecover 202 and that extends around at least an outer periphery of thedisplay 203. A perimeter of the frame 204 may be attached to a lower orinner surface of the cover 202. A portion of the frame 204 may extendbelow the display 203 and may attach the cover 202 to the housing 210.Because the display 203 is attached to a lower or inner surface of thecover 202, the frame 204 may also be described as attaching both thedisplay 203 and the cover 202 to the housing 210. The frame 204 may beformed of a polymer material, metal material, or combination of polymerand metal materials. The frame 204 may support elements of the displaystack, provide anchor points for flexible circuits, and/or be used tomount other components and device elements. In some cases, the frame 204includes one or more metal or conductive elements that provide shieldingbetween device components, such as between the display stack (includingdisplay components and touch sensor components) and other componentslike the haptic actuator 222, the speaker system 224, and the like.

The cover 202, display stack 203, and frame member 204 may be part of atop module 201 of the device 200. The top module 201 may be assembled asa subassembly, which may then be attached to a housing member. Forexample, as described herein, the display 203 may be attached to thecover 202 (e.g., via a transparent adhesive), and the frame member 204may be attached (e.g., via adhesive) to the cover around a periphery ofthe display stack 203. The top module 201 may then be attached to ahousing member of the device 200 by mounting and adhering the framemember 204 to a ledge defined by the housing member.

The device 200 also includes a speaker module 250 that is configured tooutput sound via a speaker port. The speaker port may be positioned inand/or at least partially defined by a recess 251 of the cover 202. Asdescribed herein, a trim piece may be positioned at least partially inthe recess 251 to facilitate the output of sound while also inhibitingthe ingress of debris, liquid, or other materials or contaminants intothe device 200. Output from the speaker module 250 may pass through anacoustic path defined at least in part by the speaker module 250 itself,and the trim piece. In some cases, part of the acoustic path (e.g.,between the speaker module 250 and the trim piece) is defined by thehousing 210 and/or a molded material that is coupled to the housing 210.For example, a molded material (e.g., a fiber-reinforced polymer) may bemolded against a metal portion of the housing 210 (e.g., the housingmember 213, described herein). The molded material may also form one ormore joint structures that also structurally join housing memberstogether (e.g., the joint structures 218). A passage (e.g., a tube-liketunnel) may be defined through the molded material to acousticallycouple the speaker module 250 to the trim piece and/or the recess 251more generally, thereby directing sound from the speaker module 250 tothe exterior of the device 200. In some cases, a portion of the passagethat extends through the molded material is defined by a housing memberitself, as described herein with reference to FIGS. 6A-6B.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the device 200 also includes one or more cameras,light emitters, and/or sensing elements that are configured to transmitsignals, receive signals, or otherwise operate along the front surfaceof the device. In this example, the device 200 includes a front camera206 that includes a high-resolution camera sensor. The front camera 206may have a 12 megapixel resolution sensor with optical elements thatprovide a fixed focus and an 85° field of view. The device 200 alsoincludes a facial recognition sensor 252 that includes an infrared lightprojector and infrared light sensor that are configured to sense anarray of depth points or regions along the face of the user. The arrayof depth points may be characterized as a unique signature orbio-identifier, which may be used to identify the user and unlock thedevice 200 or authorize functionality on the device 200 like thepurchase of software apps or the use of payment functionality providedby the device 200.

The device 200 may also include one or more other sensors or components.For example, the device 200 may include a front light illuminatorelement for providing a flash or illumination for the front camera 206.The device 200 may also include an ambient light sensor (ALS) that isused to detect ambient light conditions for setting exposure aspects ofthe front camera 206 and/or for controlling the operation of thedisplay.

FIG. 2 also illustrates one or more cameras, light emitters, and/orsensing elements that are configured to transmit signals, receivesignals, or otherwise operate along the rear surface of the device. Asdepicted in FIG. 2 , these elements may be part of a sensor array 260.In this example, the sensor array 260 includes a first camera 261 havinga 12 megapixel image sensor and a wide angle lens with an aperturenumber of f/1.6. The first camera 261 also includes a dual photodiodesensor having an APS+ sensor format. The sensor array 260 also includesa second camera 262 having a 12 megapixel image sensor and a super-wideangle lens (120° FOV) with an aperture number of f/2.4. The sensor array260 also includes a light illuminator that may be used as a flash forphotography or as an auxiliary light source (e.g., a flashlight). Thesensor array 260 also features an integrated chassis design thatminimizes space while providing the precision alignment required formultiple high-resolution cameras. In some cases, the sensor array 260also includes a microphone, an ambient light sensor, a depth sensor,and/or other sensors that are adapted to sense along the rear surface ofthe device 200.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the cameras 261 and 262 may be aligned with cameracovers 263 and 264, respectively. The covers 263, 264 may be formed froma glass, glass-ceramic, or sapphire material and may provide a clearwindow through which the cameras 261, 262 are able to capture aphotographic image. In other cases, the covers 263, 264 are opticallenses that filter, magnify, or otherwise condition light received bythe respective camera 261, 262. The other sensing or transmittingelements of the sensor array 260 may transmit and/or receive signalsthrough a region of the rear cover 272 or through a separate cover thatis coupled to the rear cover 272. As shown in FIG. 2 , the covers 263,264 may extend beyond the exterior surface of the cover 272, and maydefine a recess along the interior side of the cover 272, such that thelens or other element of the cameras 261 and 262 can extend into therespective recesses. In this way, the device 200 may accommodate alarger lens or other elements of the cameras 261 and 262 than would bepossible if the recess were not provided.

The device 200 also includes a battery 230. The battery 230 provideselectrical power to the device 200 and its various systems andcomponents. The battery 230 may include a 4.45 V lithium ion batterythat is encased in a foil or other enclosing element (e.g., a pouch).The battery 230 may be attached to the device 200 (e.g., to the chassis219) with one or more adhesives and/or other attachment techniques. Inone example, the battery 230 may be attached to the chassis 219, oranother structure of the device 200, with a two-layer adhesive, where afirst adhesive is adhered to the battery 230 and to a second adhesive,and the second adhesive is bonded to the first adhesive and to thechassis 219 (or other structure of the device 200). The first and secondadhesives may have different properties, such as different stiffness(e.g., Young's modulus), different adhesive properties, or the like. Forexample, in some cases, the first adhesive is configured to adhere tothe material of the battery 230 (e.g., with a bond strength above athreshold value), while the second adhesive is configured to adhere tothe chassis 219 or other structure of the device (e.g., with a bondstrength above the threshold value). In such cases, the first adhesivemay not form a sufficiently strong bond with the chassis 219, and thesecond adhesive may not form a sufficiently strong bond with the battery230, though the first and second adhesives may form a sufficientlystrong bond with one another. Accordingly, by using the two differentadhesives (e.g., in the layered configuration described) to ultimatelysecure the battery 230 to the chassis 219, the overall strength and/orsecurity of the attachment may be greater than if a single adhesive wereused.

The battery 230 may be recharged via the charging port 232 (e.g., from apower cable plugged into the charging port 232 through a charging accessopening 226), and/or via a wireless charging system 240. The battery 230may be coupled to the charging port 232 and/or the wireless chargingsystem 240 via battery control circuitry that controls the powerprovided to the battery and the power provided by the battery to thedevice 200. The battery 230 may include one or more lithium ion batterycells or any other suitable type of rechargeable battery element.

The charging system 240 may include a coil that inductively couples toan output or transmitting coil of a wireless charger. The coil mayprovide current to the device 200 to charge the battery 230 and/or powerthe device. In this example, the charging system 240 includes a coilassembly 242 that includes multiple wraps of a conductive wire or otherconduit that is configured to produce a (charging) current in responseto being placed in an inductive charging electromagnetic field producedby a separate wireless charging device or accessory. The coil assembly242 also includes or is associated with an array of magnetic elementsthat are arranged in a circular or radial pattern. The magnetic elementsmay help to locate the device 200 with respect to a separate wirelesscharging device or other accessory. In some implementations, the arrayof magnets also help to radially locate, orient, or “clock” the device200 with respect to the separate wireless charging device or otheraccessory. For example, the array of magnets may include multiplemagnetic elements having alternating magnetic polarity that are arrangedin a radial pattern. The magnetic elements may be arranged to provide amagnetic coupling to the separate charging device in a particularorientation or set of discrete orientations to help locate the device200 with respect to the separate charging device or other accessory.This functionality may be described as self-aligning or self-locatingwireless charging. As shown in FIG. 2 , the device 200 also includes amagnetic fiducial 244 for helping to locate the separate wirelesscharging device or accessory. In one example, the magnetic fiducial 244is adapted to magnetically couple to a cable or power cord of theseparate wireless charging device or other accessory. By coupling to thecable or power cord, the rotational alignment of the device 200 and theseparate wireless charging device or other accessory may be maintainedwith respect to an absolute or single position. Also, by magneticallycoupling the cable or cord to the rear surface of the device 200, thecharging device or other accessory may be more securely coupled to thedevice 200.

In some implementations, the wireless charging system 240 includes anantenna or other element that detects the presence of a charging deviceor other accessory. In some cases, the charging system includes anear-field communications (NFC) antenna that is adapted to receiveand/or send wireless communications between the device 200 and thewireless charger or other accessory. In some cases, the device 200 isadapted to perform wireless communications to detect or sense thepresence of the wireless charger or other accessory without using adedicated NFC antenna. The communications may also include informationregarding the status of the device, the amount of charge held by thebattery 230, and/or control signals to increase charging, decreasecharging, start charging and/or stop charging for a wireless chargingoperation.

The device 200 may also include a speaker system 224. The speaker system224 may be positioned in the device 200 so that a respective port 235 isaligned with or otherwise proximate an audio output of the speakersystem 224. Accordingly, sound that is output by the speaker system 224exits the housing 210 via the respective port 235. The speaker system224 may include a speaker positioned in a housing that defines a speakervolume (e.g., an empty space in front of or behind a speaker diaphragm).The speaker volume may be used to tune the audio output from the speakerand optionally mitigate destructive interference of the sound producedby the speaker. The speaker system 224 may include left and rightspeakers that are aligned with left and right ports 225, 235,respectively, in order to produce stereo sound.

The device 200 may also include a haptic actuator 222. The hapticactuator 222 may include a movable mass and an actuation system that isconfigured to move the mass to produce a haptic output. The actuationsystem may include one or more coils and one or more magnets (e.g.,permanent and/or electromagnets) that interact to produce motion. Themagnets may be or may include recycled magnetic material. As describedherein, the haptic actuator 222 may have a profile or enclosure shapethat facilitates physical integration with the battery 230 and othercomponents of the device 200 in order to minimize space and/or maximizethe size of the battery.

When the coil(s) are energized, the coil(s) may cause the mass to move,which results in a force being imparted on the device 200. The motion ofthe mass may be configured to cause a vibration, pulse, tap, or othertactile output detectable via an exterior surface of the device 200. Thehaptic actuator 222 may be configured to move the mass linearly, thoughother movements (e.g., rotational) are also contemplated. Other types ofhaptic actuators may be used instead of or in addition to the hapticactuator 222.

The device 200 also includes a logic board 220 (also referred to hereinas a circuit board assembly). The logic board 220 may include asubstrate, and processors, memory, and other circuit elements coupled tothe substrate. The logic board 220 may include multiple circuitsubstrates that are stacked and coupled together in order to maximizethe area available for electronic components and circuitry in a compactform factor. The logic board 220 may include provisions for a subscriberidentity module (SIM). The logic board 220 may include electricalcontacts and/or a SIM tray assembly for receiving a physical SIM cardand/or the logic board 220 may include provisions for an electronic SIM.The logic board 220 may be wholly or partially encapsulated to reducethe chance of damage due to ingress of water or other fluid.

The logic board 220 may also include wireless communications circuitry,which may be coupled to and/or otherwise use the housing members 211,212, 213, 214, 215, or 216 (or portions thereof) as radiating members toprovide wireless communications. The logic board 220 may also includecomponents such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, near-field communicationscircuitry and/or antennas, compasses, and the like. In someimplementations, the logic board 220 may include a magnetometer that isadapted to detect and/or locate an accessory. For example, themagnetometer may be adapted to detect a magnetic (or non-magnetic)signal produced by an accessory of the device 200 or other device. Theoutput of the magnetometer may include a direction output that may beused to display a directional indicia or other navigational guidance onthe display 203 in order to guide the user toward a location of theaccessory or other device.

The device 200 may also include one or more pressure transducers thatmay be operable to detect changes in external pressure in order todetermine changes in altitude or height. The pressure sensors may beexternally ported and/or positioned within a water-sealed internalvolume of the housing 210. The output of the pressure sensors may beused to track flights of stairs climbed, a location (e.g., a floor) of amulti-story structure, movement performed during an activity in order toestimate physical effort or calories burned, or other relative movementof the device 200.

The logic board 220 may also include global position system (GPS)electronics that may be used to determine the location of the device 200with respect to one or more satellites (e.g., a Global NavigationSatellite System (GNSS)) in order to estimate an absolution location ofthe device 200. In some implementations, the GPS electronics areoperable to utilize dual frequency bands. For example, the GPSelectronics may use L1 (L1C), L2 (L2C), L5, L1+L5, and other GPS signalbands in order to estimate the location of the device 200.

The housing 210 may also include a chassis 219, which may be attached tothe housing 210. The chassis 219 may be formed of metal, and may act asa structural mounting point for components of the device 200. Thechassis 219 may define an opening that corresponds to the size of thecoil assembly 242 of the wireless charging system 240, such that thechassis 219 does not shield the wireless coil assembly 242 or otherwisenegatively affect the inductive coupling between the coil of thecharging system 240 and an external wireless charger or accessory.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the housing may include a cover 272 (e.g., rear orback cover) that may define a substantial entirety of the rear surfaceof the device 200. The cover 272 may be formed from a glass (orglass-ceramic) substrate having portions that are less than 1 mm thick.In some cases, the sheet substrate has portions that are less than 0.80mm. In some cases, the glass substrate has portions that areapproximately 0.60 mm or less. The cover 272 may have a uniformthickness or, in some cases, may have a thickened or raised portion thatsurrounds the camera covers 263, 264. The cover 272 may be machined(e.g., ground) into a final shape before being polished and/or texturedto provide the desired surface finish. The texture may be speciallyconfigured to provide a matte appearance while also being resistant tocollecting a buildup of skin, lint, or other debris. A series ofcosmetic layers may be formed along the inner surface of the cover 272to provide a desired optical effect and final color of the device 200.

Similar to as described above with respect to cover 202, the cover 272may be positioned at least partially within an opening defined in thehousing 210. Also similar to as described above with respect to cover202, the edges or sides of the cover 272 may be surrounded by aprotective flange or lip of the housing 210 without an interstitialcomponent between the edges of the cover 272 and the respective flangesof the housing 210. The cover 272 is typically chemically strengthenedusing an ion exchange process to form a compressive stress layer alongexterior surfaces of the cover 272.

As described above, the housing 210 may include housing members 211,212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 structurally joined together via jointstructures 218. The joint structures 218 (e.g., the material of thejoint structures) may extend over inner surfaces of the housing members.More particularly, a portion of the joint structures 218 may contact,cover, encapsulate, and/or engage with retention features of the housingmembers that extend from the inner surfaces of the housing members.

Housing members 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 may also be referred toherein as housing segments and may be formed from aluminum, stainlesssteel, or other metal or metal alloy material. As described herein, thehousing members 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 may provide a robustand impact resistant sidewall for the device 200. In the presentexample, the housing members 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 define aflat sidewall that extends around the perimeter of the device 200. Theflat sidewall may include rounded or chamfered edges that define theupper and lower edges of the sidewall of the housing 210. The housingmembers 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 may each have a flange portionor lip that extends around and at least partially covers a respectiveside of the front and rear covers 202, 272. There may be no interstitialmaterial or elements between the flange portion or lip and therespective side surface of the front and rear covers 202, 272. This mayallow forces or impacts that are applied to the housing 210 to betransferred to the front and rear covers 202, 272 without affecting thedisplay or other internal structural elements, which may improve thedrop performance of the device 200.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the device 200 includes multiple antennas that maybe adapted to conduct wireless communication using a 5G communicationprotocol. In particular, the device 200 may include a (side-fired)antenna array 282 that is configured to transmit and receive wirelesscommunication signals through an antenna window 283 or waveguide formedalong or otherwise integrated with the sidewall of the housing 210. Theside-fired antenna array 282 may be coupled to the logic board 220 via aflexible circuit element or other conductive connection, as describedherein. The device 200 may also include a rear antenna module 284 thatmay include one or more (rear-fired) antenna arrays that may beconfigured to transmit and receive wireless communication signalsthrough the cover 272. The antenna module 284 may be attached to a backor bottom surface of the logic board 220.

The antenna module 284 may include multiple antenna arrays. For example,the antenna module 284 may include one or more millimeter-wave antennaarrays. In the case where the antenna module 284 includes multiplemillimeter-wave antenna arrays (each of which may include one or moreradiating elements), the multiple millimeter-wave antenna arrays may beconfigured to operate according to a diversity scheme (e.g., spatialdiversity, pattern diversity, polarization diversity, or the like). Theantenna module 284 may also include one or more ultra-wideband antennas.

Each of the antenna arrays (e.g., the antenna array 284 and themillimeter-wave arrays of the antenna module 282) may be adapted toconduct millimeter wave 5G communications and may be adapted to use orbe used with beam-forming or other techniques to adapt signal receptiondepending on the use case. The device 200 may also include multipleantennas for conducting multiple-in multiple-out (MIMO) wirelesscommunications schemes, including 4G, 4G LTE, and/or 5G MIMOcommunication protocols. As described herein, one or more of the housingmembers 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 may be adapted to operate asantennas for a MIMO wireless communication scheme (or other wirelesscommunication scheme).

FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of an example electronic device. Inparticular, FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of a device 300, showingvarious components of the device 300 and example arrangements andconfigurations of the components. The description of the variouscomponents and elements of device 100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B may also beapplicable to the device 300 depicted in FIG. 3 . A redundantdescription of some of the components is not repeated herein forclarity.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the device 300 includes a cover 302 (e.g., a frontcover), which may be formed of glass, ceramic, or other transparentsubstrate. In this example, the cover 302 may be formed from a glass orglass-ceramic material. A glass-ceramic material may include bothamorphous and crystalline or non-amorphous phases of one or morematerials and may be formulated to improve strength or other propertiesof the cover 302. In some cases, the cover 302 may include a sheet ofchemically strengthened material having one or more coatings includingan anti-reflective (AR) coating, an oleophobic coating, or other type ofcoating or optical treatment. In some cases, the cover 302 includes asheet of material that is less than 1 mm thick. In some cases, the sheetof material is less than 0.80 mm. In some cases, the sheet of materialis approximately 0.60 mm or less. The cover 302 may be chemicallystrengthened using an ion exchange process to form a compressive stresslayer along exterior surfaces of the cover 302.

The cover 302 extends over a substantial entirety of the front surfaceof the device and may be positioned within an opening defined by thehousing 310. As described in more detail below, the edges or sides ofthe cover 302 may be surrounded by a protective flange or lip of thehousing 310 without an interstitial component between the edges of thecover 302 and the respective flanges of the housing 310. Thisconfiguration may allow an impact or force applied to the housing 310 tobe transferred to the cover 302 without directly transferring shearstress through the display 303 or frame 304.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the display 303 is coupled to an internal surfaceof the cover 302. The display 303 may include an edge-to-edge organiclight emitting diode (OLED) display that measures 16.97 cm (6.68 inches)corner-to-corner. The perimeter or non-active area of the display 303may be reduced to allow for very thin device borders around the activearea of the display 303. In some cases, the display 303 allows forborder regions of 1.5 mm or less. In some cases, the display 303 allowsfor border regions of 1 mm or less. In one example implementation, theborder region is approximately 0.9 mm. The display 303 may have arelatively high pixel density of approximately 450 pixels per inch (PPI)or greater. In some cases, the display 303 has a pixel density ofapproximately 458 PPI. The display 303 may have an integrated (on-cell)touch-sensing system. For example, an array of electrodes that areintegrated into the OLED display may be time and/or frequencymultiplexed in order to provide both display and touch-sensingfunctionality. The electrodes may be configured to detect a location ofa touch, a gesture input, multi-touch input, or other types of touchinput along the external surface of the cover 302. In some cases, thedisplay 303 includes another type of display element, such as aliquid-crystal display (LCD) without an integrated touch-sensing system.That is, the device 300 may include one or more touch- and/orforce-sensing layers that are positioned between the display 303 and thecover 302.

The display 303 may include always-on-display (AOD) functionality. Forexample, the display 303 may be configurable to allow designated regionsor subsets of pixels to be displayed when the device 300 is powered onsuch that graphical content is visible to the user even when the device300 is in a low-power or sleep mode. This may allow the time, date,battery status, recent notifications, and other graphical content to bedisplayed in a lower-power or sleep mode. This graphical content may bereferred to as persistent or always-on graphical output. While somebattery power may be consumed when displaying persistent or always-ongraphical output, the power consumption is typically less than duringnormal or full-power operation of the display 303. This functionalitymay be enabled by only operating a subset of the display pixels and/orat a reduced resolution in order to reduce power consumption by thedisplay 303.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the device 300 may also include a frame 304 that ispositioned below the cover 302 and that extends around an outerperiphery of the display 303. A perimeter of the frame 304 may beattached to a lower or inner surface of the cover 302. A portion of theframe 304 may extend below the display 303 and may attach the cover 302to the housing 310. Because the display 303 is attached to a lower orinner surface of the cover 302, the frame 304 may also be described asattaching both the display 303 and the cover 302 to the housing 310. Theframe 304 may be formed of a polymer material, a metal material, or acombination of polymer and metal materials. The frame 304 may supportelements of the display stack, provide anchor points for flexiblecircuits, and/or be used to mount other components and device elements.In some cases, the frame 304 includes one or more metal or conductiveelements that provide shielding between device components, such asbetween the display stack (including display components and touch sensorcomponents) and other components like the haptic actuator 322, thespeaker system 324, and the like.

The cover 302, display or display stack 303, and frame member 304 may bepart of a top module 301 of the device 300. The top module 301 may beassembled as a subassembly, which may then be attached to a housingmember. For example, as described herein, the display 303 may beattached to the cover 302 (e.g., via a transparent adhesive), and theframe member 304 may be attached (e.g., via adhesive) to the coveraround a periphery of the display stack 303. The top module 301 may thenbe attached to a housing member of the device 300 by mounting andadhering the frame member 304 to a ledge defined by the housing member.

The device 300 also includes a speaker module 350 that is configured tooutput sound via a speaker port. The speaker port may be positioned inand/or at least partially defined by a recess 351 of the cover 302. Asdescribed herein, a trim piece may be positioned at least partially inthe recess 351 to facilitate the output of sound while also inhibitingthe ingress of debris, liquid, or other materials or contaminants intothe device 300. Output from the speaker module 350 may pass through anacoustic path defined at least in part by the speaker module 350 itselfand the trim piece. In some cases, part of the acoustic path (e.g.,between the speaker module 350 and the trim piece) is defined by thehousing 310 and/or a molded material that is coupled to the housing 310.For example, a molded material (e.g., a fiber-reinforced polymer) may bemolded against a metal portion of the housing 310 (e.g., the housingmember 313, described herein). The molded material may also form one ormore joint structures that also structurally join housing memberstogether (e.g., the joint structures 318). A port may be defined throughthe molded material to acoustically couple the speaker module 350 to thetrim piece and/or the recess 351 more generally, thereby directing soundfrom the speaker module 350 to the exterior of the device 300. In somecases, a portion of the port that extends through the molded material isdefined by a housing member itself, as described herein with referenceto FIGS. 6A-6B.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the device 300 also includes one or more cameras,light emitters, and/or sensing elements that are configured to transmitsignals, receive signals, or otherwise operate along the front surfaceof the device. In this example, the device 300 includes a front camera306 that includes a high-resolution camera sensor. The front camera 306may have a 12 megapixel resolution sensor with optical elements thatprovide a fixed focus and an 85° field of view. The front camera 306 mayhave an aperture number of f/2.2. The device 300 also includes a facialrecognition sensor 352 that includes an infrared light projector andinfrared light sensor that are configured to sense an array of depthpoints or regions along the face of the user. The array of depth pointsmay be characterized as a unique signature or bio-identifier, which maybe used to identify the user and unlock the device 300 or authorizefunctionality on the device 300 like the purchase of software apps orthe use of payment functionality provided by the device 300.

The device 300 may also include one or more other sensors or components.For example, the device 300 may include a front light illuminatorelement for providing a flash or illumination for the front camera 306.The device 300 may also include an ambient light sensor (ALS) that isused to detect ambient light conditions for setting exposure aspects ofthe front camera 306 and/or for controlling the operation of thedisplay.

FIG. 3 also illustrates one or more cameras, light emitters, and/orsensing elements that are configured to transmit signals, receivesignals, or otherwise operate along the rear surface of the device. Asdepicted in FIG. 3 , these elements may be integrated in a sensor array360. In this example, the sensor array 360 includes a first camera 361having a 12 megapixel image sensor and a wide angle lens with anaperture number of f/1.6. The first camera 361 may also include asensor-shifting mechanism that allows for image stabilization and/oroptical focusing. In some cases, the image sensor is moved with respectto one or more fixed elements of the optical lens assembly. The sensorarray 360 also includes a second camera 362 having a 12 megapixel imagesensor and a super-wide angle lens (120° FOV) with an aperture number off/2.2. The sensor array 360 may also include a third camera 363 having a12 megapixel image sensor and a telephoto optical lens assembly thatenables 2.5× optical zoom. The third camera 363 may also have anaperture number of f/2.4.

The sensor array 360 also includes a light illuminator that may be usedas a flash for photography or as an auxiliary light source (e.g., aflashlight). The sensor array 360 also features an integrated chassisdesign that minimizes space while providing the precision alignmentrequired for multiple high-resolution cameras. In some cases, the sensorarray 360 also includes a microphone, an ambient light sensor, and othersensors that are adapted to sense along the rear surface of the device300.

The sensor array 360 may also include a depth sensor 365 that is able toestimate a distance to objects positioned behind the device 300. Thedepth sensor 365 may include an optical sensor that uses time-of-flightor other optical effect to measure a distance between the device 300 andan external object. The depth sensor 365 may include one or more opticalemitters that are adapted to emit one or more beams of light, which maybe used to estimate the distance. In some cases, the one or more beamsof light are coherent light beams having a substantially uniformwavelength/frequency. A coherent light source may facilitate depthmeasurements using a time of flight, phase shift, or other opticaleffect. In some cases, the depth sensor 365 uses a sonic output, radiooutput, or other type of output that may be used to measure the distancebetween the device 300 and one or more external objects. The depthsensor 365 may be positioned proximate a window 371 (e.g., a region ofthe rear cover 372 or other component that covers the components of thesensor array 360) through which the depth sensor 365 may send and/orreceive signals (e.g., laser light, infrared light, visible light,etc.).

As shown in FIG. 3 , the cameras 361, 362, 363 may be aligned withcamera covers 366, 367, 368, respectively. The covers 366, 367, 368 maybe formed from a glass or sapphire material and may provide a clearwindow through which the cameras 361, 362, 363 are able to capture aphotographic image. In other cases, the covers 366, 367, 368 are opticallenses that filter, magnify, or otherwise condition light received bythe respective camera 361, 362, 363. The other sensing or transmittingelements of the sensor array 360 may transmit and/or receive signalsthrough a region of the rear cover 372 or through a separate cover(e.g., 369) that is coupled to the rear cover 372. As shown in FIG. 3 ,the covers 366, 367, 368 may extend beyond the exterior surface of thecover 372, and may define a recess along the interior side of the cover372, such that the lens or other element of the cameras 361, 362, 363can extend into the respective recesses. In this way, the device 300 mayaccommodate a larger lens or other elements of the cameras 361, 362, 363than would be possible if the recess were not provided.

The device 300 also includes a battery 330. The battery 330 provideselectrical power to the device 300 and its various systems andcomponents. The battery 330 may include a 4.40 V lithium ion batterythat is encased in a foil or other enclosing element. The battery 330may include a rolled electrode configuration, sometimes referred to as“jelly roll” or folded electrode configuration. The battery 330 may berecharged via the charging port 332 (e.g., from a power cable pluggedinto the charging port 332 through a charging access opening 326),and/or via a wireless charging system 340. The battery 330 may becoupled to the charging port 332 and/or the wireless charging system 340via battery control circuitry that controls the power provided to thebattery and the power provided by the battery to the device 300. Thebattery 330 may include one or more lithium ion battery cells or anyother suitable type of rechargeable battery element.

The wireless charging system 340 may include a coil that inductivelycouples to an output or transmitting coil of a wireless charger. Thecoil may provide current to the device 300 to charge the battery 330and/or power the device. In this example, the wireless charging system340 includes a coil assembly 342 that includes multiple wraps of aconductive wire or other conduit that is configured to produce a(charging) current in response to being placed in an inductive chargingelectromagnetic field produced by a separate wireless charging device oraccessory. The coil assembly 342 also includes an array of magneticelements that are arranged in a circular or radial pattern. The magneticelements may help to locate the device 300 with respect to a separatewireless charging device or other accessory. In some implementations,the array of magnets also help to radially locate, orient, or “clock”the device 300 with respect to the separate wireless charging device orother accessory. For example, the array of magnets may include multiplemagnetic elements having alternating magnetic polarity that are arrangedin a radial pattern. The magnetic elements may be arranged to provide amagnetic coupling to the separate charging device in a particularorientation or set of discrete orientations to help locate the device300 with respect to the separate charging device or other accessory.This functionality may be described as self-aligning or self-locatingwireless charging. As shown in FIG. 3 , the device 300 also includes amagnetic fiducial 344 for helping to locate the separate wirelesscharging device or accessory. In one example, the magnetic fiducial 344is adapted to magnetically couple to a cable or power cord of theseparate wireless charging device or other accessory. By coupling to thecable or power cord, the rotational alignment of the device 300 and theseparate wireless charging device or other accessory may be maintainedwith respect to an absolute or single position. Also, by magneticallycoupling the cable or cord to the rear surface of the device 300, thecharging device or other accessory may be more securely coupled to thedevice 300.

In some implementations, the wireless charging system 340 includes anantenna or other element that detects the presence of a charging deviceor other accessory. In some cases, the charging system includes anear-field communications (NFC) antenna that is adapted to receiveand/or send wireless communications between the device 300 and thewireless charger or other accessory. In some cases, the device 300 isadapted to perform wireless communications to detect or sense thepresence of the wireless charger or other accessory without using adedicated NFC antenna. The communications may also include informationregarding the status of the device, the amount of charge held by thebattery 330, and/or control signals to increase charging, decreasecharging, start charging and/or stop charging for a wireless chargingoperation.

The device 300 may also include a speaker system 324. The speaker system324 may be positioned in the device 300 so that a respective port 325 isaligned with or otherwise proximate an audio output of the speakersystem 324. Accordingly, sound that is output by the speaker system 324exits the housing 310 via the respective port 325. The speaker system324 may include a speaker positioned in a housing that defines a speakervolume (e.g., an empty space in front of or behind a speaker diaphragm).The speaker volume may be used to tune the audio output from the speakerand optionally mitigate destructive interference of the sound producedby the speaker. The speaker system 324 may include left and rightspeakers that are aligned with left and right ports 325, respectively,in order to produce stereo sound.

The device 300 may also include a haptic actuator 322. The hapticactuator 322 may include a movable mass and an actuation system that isconfigured to move the mass to produce a haptic output. The actuationsystem may include one or more coils and one or more magnets (e.g.,permanent and/or electromagnets) that interact to produce motion. Themagnets may be or may include recycled magnetic material. As describedherein, the haptic actuator 322 may have a profile or enclosure shapethat facilitates physical integration with the battery 330 and othercomponents of the device 300 in order to minimize space and/or maximizethe size of the battery.

When the coil(s) are energized, the coil(s) may cause the mass to move,which results in a force being imparted on the device 300. The motion ofthe mass may be configured to cause a vibration, pulse, tap, or othertactile output detectable via an exterior surface of the device 300. Thehaptic actuator 322 may be configured to move the mass linearly, thoughother movements (e.g., rotational) are also contemplated. Other types ofhaptic actuators may be used instead of or in addition to the hapticactuator 322.

The device 300 also includes a logic board 320 (also referred to hereinas a circuit board assembly). The logic board 320 may include asubstrate, and processors, memory, and other circuit elements coupled tothe substrate. The logic board 320 may include multiple circuitsubstrates that are stacked and coupled together in order to maximizethe area available for electronic components and circuitry in a compactform factor. The logic board 320 may include provisions for a subscriberidentity module (SIM). The logic board 320 may include electricalcontacts and/or a SIM tray assembly for receiving a physical SIM cardand/or the logic board 320 may include provisions for an electronic SIM.The logic board 320 may be wholly or partially encapsulated to reducethe chance of damage due to ingress of water or other fluid.

The logic board 320 may also include wireless communications circuitry,which may be coupled to and/or otherwise use the housing members 311,312, 313, 314, 315, or 316 (or portions thereof) as radiating members orstructures to provide wireless communications. The logic board 320 mayalso include components such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, near-fieldcommunications circuitry and/or antennas, compasses, and the like. Insome implementations, the logic board 320 may include a magnetometerthat is adapted to detect and/or locate an accessory. For example, themagnetometer may be adapted to detect a magnetic (or non-magnetic)signal produced by an accessory of the device 300 or other device. Theoutput of the magnetometer may include a direction output that may beused to display a directional indicia or other navigational guidance onthe display 303 in order to guide the user toward a location of theaccessory or other device.

The device 300 may also include one or more pressure transducers thatmay be operable to detect changes in external pressure in order todetermine changes in altitude or height. The pressure sensors may beexternally ported and/or positioned within a water-sealed internalvolume of the housing 310. The output of the pressure sensors may beused to track flights of stairs climbed, a location (e.g., a floor) of amulti-story structure, movement performed during an activity in order toestimate physical effort or calories burned, or other relative movementof the device 300.

The logic board 320 may also include global position system (GPS)electronics that may be used to determine the location of the device 300with respect to one or more satellites (e.g., a Global NavigationSatellite System (GNSS)) in order to estimate an absolution location ofthe device 300. In some implementations, the GPS electronics areoperable to utilize dual frequency bands. For example, the GPSelectronics may use L1 (L1C), L2 (L2C), L5, L1+L5, and other GPS signalbands in order to estimate the location of the device 300.

The housing 310 may also include a chassis 319, which may be attached tothe housing 310. The chassis 319 may be formed of metal, and may act asa structural mounting point for components of the device 300. Thechassis 319 may define an opening that corresponds to size of the coilassembly 342 of the wireless charging system 340, such that the chassis319 does not shield the wireless coil assembly 342 or otherwisenegatively affect the inductive coupling between the coil of thewireless charging system 340 and an external wireless charger oraccessory.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the housing may include a cover 372 (e.g., rear orback cover) that may define a substantial entirety of the rear surfaceof the device 300. The cover 372 may be formed from a glass,glass-ceramic, or other material having portions that are less than 1 mmthick. In some cases, the substrate has portions that are less than 0.80mm. In some cases, the substrate has portions that are approximately0.60 mm or less. The cover 372 may have a uniform thickness or, in somecases, may have a thickened or raised portion that surrounds the cameracovers 366, 367, 368. The cover 372 may be machined (e.g., ground) intoa final shape before being polished and/or textured to provide thedesired surface finish. The texture may be specially configured toprovide a matte appearance while also being resistant to collecting abuildup of skin, lint, or other debris. A series of cosmetic layers maybe formed along the inner surface of the cover 372 to provide a desiredoptical effect and final color of the device 300.

Similar to as described above with respect to cover 302, the cover 372may be positioned at least partially within an opening defined in thehousing 310. Also similar to as described above with respect to cover302, the edges or sides of the cover 372 may be surrounded by aprotective flange or lip of the housing 310 without an interstitialcomponent between the edges of the cover 372 and the respective flangesof the housing 310. The cover 372 may be chemically strengthened usingan ion exchange process to form a compressive stress layer alongexterior surfaces of the cover 372. In some cases, the (rear) cover 372is formed from the same or a similar material as (front) cover 302.

As described above, the housing 310 may include housing members 311,312, 313, 314, 315, and 316 structurally joined together via jointstructures 318. The joint structures 318 (e.g., the material of thejoint structures) may extend over inner surfaces of the housing members.More particularly, a portion of the joint structures 318 may contact,cover, encapsulate, and/or engage with retention features of the housingmembers that extend from the inner surfaces of the housing members.

Housing members 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, and 316 may also be referred toherein as housing segments and may be formed from aluminum, stainlesssteel, or other metal or metal alloy material. As described herein, thehousing members 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, and 316 may provide a robustand impact resistant sidewall for the device 300. In the presentexample, the housing members 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, and 316 define aflat sidewall that extends around the perimeter of the device 300. Theflat sidewall may include rounded or chamfered edges that define theupper and lower edges of the sidewall of the housing 310. The housingmembers 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, and 316 may each have a flange portionor lip that extends around and at least partially covers a respectiveside of the front and rear covers 302, 372. There may be no interstitialmaterial or elements between the flange portion or lip and therespective side surface of the front and rear covers 302, 372. This mayallow forces or impacts that are applied to the housing 310 to betransferred to the front and rear covers 302, 372 without affecting thedisplay or other internal structural elements, which may improve thedrop performance of the device 300.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the device 300 includes multiple antennas that maybe adapted to conduct wireless communication using a 5G communicationprotocol. In particular, the device 300 may include a (side-fired)antenna array 382 that is configured to transmit and receive wirelesscommunication signals through an antenna window 383 or waveguide formedalong or otherwise integrated with the side wall of the housing 310. Theside-fired antenna array 382 may be coupled to the logic board 320 via aflexible circuit element or other conductive connection, as describedherein. The device 300 may also include a rear antenna module 384 thatmay include one or more (rear-fired) antenna arrays that may beconfigured to transmit and receive wireless communication signalsthrough the cover 372. The antenna module 384 may be attached to a backor bottom surface of the logic board 320.

The antenna module 384 may include multiple antenna arrays. For example,the antenna module 384 may include one or more millimeter-wave antennaarrays. In the case where the antenna module 384 includes multiplemillimeter-wave antenna arrays (each of which may include one or moreradiating elements), the multiple millimeter-wave antenna arrays may beconfigured to operate according to a diversity scheme (e.g., spatialdiversity, pattern diversity, polarization diversity, or the like). Theantenna module 384 may also include one or more ultra-wideband antennas.

Each of the antenna arrays (e.g., the antenna array 384 and themillimeter-wave arrays of the antenna module 382) may be adapted toconduct millimeter wave 5G communications and may be adapted to use orbe used with beam-forming or other techniques to adapt signal receptiondepending on the use case. The device 300 may also include multipleantennas for conducting multiple-in multiple-out (MIMO) wirelesscommunications schemes, including 4G, 4G LTE, and/or 5G MIMOcommunication protocols. As described herein, one or more of the housingmembers 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, and 316 may be adapted to operate asantennas for a MIMO wireless communication scheme (or other wirelesscommunication scheme).

FIGS. 4A-4B depict a partial view of an example electronic device 400.The portion illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4B may correspond to an area 4-4 inFIG. 1A, though the same or a similar area may be found on other exampledevices described herein. The electronic device 400 may correspond to orbe an embodiment of the electronic devices 100, 200, or 300, or anyother device described herein. FIGS. 4A-4B illustrates an exampleconfiguration of a speaker port 401 as well as a front-facing sensorregion.

The device 400 includes a cover 402, which may correspond to or be anembodiment of other covers described herein, such as the covers 102,202, 302, and a housing member 404, which may correspond to or be anembodiment of other housing members described herein, such as thehousing members 127, 213, 313, and which may define at least a portionof four side surfaces of the device. As shown in FIG. 4C, the cover 402may define a front surface 432, a rear surface 434, and a peripheralside surface 436 extending from the front surface 432 to the rearsurface 434. The peripheral side surface 436 is at least partiallysurrounded by a wall 407 of the housing 404 (FIG. 4C).

The cover 402 defines a notch 406 along an edge of the cover 402. Thenotch 406 (also referred to as a recess or cutout) may be along a topedge of the cover 402 to define a space between the edge of the cover402 and housing member 404 that defines a top side of the device 400.The space between the edge of the cover 402 and the housing member 404may be referred to as a speaker port opening. A first side of thespeaker port opening may be defined by the wall 407 of the housingmember, and a second side of the speaker port opening may be defined bythe notch 406 of the front cover 402. The notch 406 may define at leastthree sides of the speaker port opening, including third and fourthsides of the speaker port opening, as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C.

The notch 406 may at least partially define an acoustic path of thedevice. For example, sound from a speaker positioned within the devicemay pass through the space defined by the notch (e.g., between aperipheral side surface of the cover 402 and the wall of the housing404). Because the speaker port 401 is proximate the top of the device,the speaker port 401 is ultimately provided at an area of the device 400that may be held against a user's ear during telephone calls or otheruses.

The device 400 may include a speaker port cover structure 405 (alsoreferred to as an acoustic port cover). The speaker port cover structure405 may be positioned at least partially in the recess 406, and betweenthe edge portion of the cover 402 (into which the recess 406 is defined)and the housing member 404. The speaker port cover structure 405 mayinclude a trim piece 408 and a mesh member 410. The trim piece 408 maybe adjacent an edge of the cover 402 and adjacent the housing member404. The front surface of the trim piece 408 may be flush with the frontexterior surface 432 of the cover 402. In some cases, there is nointerstitial component or material between the trim piece 408 and thecover 402, or between the trim piece 408 and the housing member 404. Asdescribed herein, the speaker port cover structure 405 provides a coverover a portion of an acoustic path in the device 400 that directs soundfrom a speaker module to the speaker port 401. In some cases, thespeaker port cover structure 405 also covers an acoustic path thatcouples to a microphone within the device, as described in greaterdetail herein.

The mesh member 410 may be configured to allow sound to pass through,while inhibiting ingress of dust, liquids, or other contaminants intothe device 400. The mesh member 410 may be a metal mesh, a polymer mesh,or the like. The mesh member 410 may be a unitary structure with holesor gaps formed therethrough (e.g. a perforated or molded polymer sheet),or it may be formed of multiple separate members (e.g., a woven fabricor metal mesh). In some cases, between about 30% and about 40% of thearea of the mesh member 410 may be open (e.g., the openings orperforations defined by the mesh may make up between about 30% and about40% of the area of the mesh member 410). In this way, sound may passthrough the mesh member 410 without undue attenuation or other acousticimpact.

FIGS. 4A-4B also illustrate an example arrangement of components in afront-facing sensor array 411, which may be at least partiallysurrounded by an active region 415 of the display. The front-facingsensor array 411 includes a front-facing camera 412, a proximity sensor414, a combination flood illuminator and dot projector 416 (e.g., forprojecting flood illumination and a pattern of dots onto an object, suchas a user's face), and an infrared light sensor 418 (e.g., for capturingimages of objects illuminated by the flood illuminator and dotprojector). Each of the components in the front-facing sensor array 411may be positioned below the cover 402 and may emit and/or receive lightthrough the cover 402. In some cases, a region of the cover 402 over aparticular component of the front-facing sensor array 411 has a maskingthat is visually opaque, but transparent to the particular wavelengthsof light that are utilized by an underlying sensor. For example, in someimplementations, the combination flood illuminator and dot projector 416and the infrared light sensor 418 are covered with a visually opaque,infrared transparent coating or material.

The front-facing sensor array 411 may be located in a portion of thefront side of the device that is not an active display area. Forexample, the line shown enclosing the front-facing camera 412, proximitysensor 414, combination flood illuminator and dot projector 416, andinfrared light sensor 418 may indicate a boundary between an activeregion 415 of the display, and an area that does not include the displayor that is not configured to produce graphical outputs. The front-facingsensor array 411 may include a mask, ink, coating, or other material,which may be visually opaque.

FIG. 4B depicts another view of the device 400, showing additionaldetails of the front-facing sensor array 411 and the speaker port 401.In some cases, the speaker port 401, and more particularly the trimpiece 408 and mesh member 410, may be positioned outside of a glue line426. The glue line 426 may adhere the cover 402 (and/or the top module)of the device to an underlying structure (e.g., the housing member 404),and may define a seal that inhibits ingress of dust, liquids, or othercontaminants or debris into the device. Because the speaker port 401 isoutside of the glue line 426, other seals and sealing techniques may beused to inhibit ingress of dust, liquids, or other contaminants ordebris into the device via the speaker port 401.

As noted above, the speaker port cover structure 405 may provideacoustic access for both a speaker module and a microphone. In somecases, a separator 424 may be positioned in the speaker port coverstructure 405 (as shown in greater detail with respect to FIG. 4C) toincrease the acoustic separation and/or isolation between the acousticpath to the microphone and to the speaker. As shown in FIG. 4B, theregion 422 of the speaker port cover structure 405 may correspond to anacoustic path for a microphone (e.g., an acoustic input path), and theregion 420 of the speaker port cover structure 405 may correspond to anacoustic path for the speaker (e.g., an acoustic output path). Theseparator 424 may be a piece of metal, plastic, or any other suitablematerial.

FIG. 4C depicts a partial exploded view of the device 400, illustratingadditional detail of the integration of the speaker port cover structure405 with the cover 402, the housing member 404, and other devicecomponents. FIG. 4C illustrates the mesh member 410 separated from thetrim piece 408. The mesh member 410 may be coupled to the trim piece 408via adhesives, welds, brackets, fasteners, interference fit, latchingstructures, or the like. A separator 424 may be secured in a cavity ofthe trim piece 408 as well (e.g., below the mesh member 410). Theseparator 424 may be secured to the trim piece 408 via welding,adhesives, fasteners, interference fit, latching structures, or thelike. The separator 424 may provide a barrier between the acoustic pathto a microphone and the acoustic path to a speaker.

After the trim piece 408 is assembled with the mesh member 410 andoptionally the separator 424, the trim piece 408 may be attached to thecover 402 via adhesive members 430. The adhesive members 430 (e.g.,liquid adhesive, adhesive foam, pressure-sensitive adhesive (“PSA”),heat-sensitive adhesive (“HSA”), etc.) may adhere to the top sides ofthe flanges 428 of the trim piece and to an underside of the cover 402.After the trim piece 408 is adhered to the cover 402 via the adhesivemember 430, the cover 402, along with other top module components suchas a display, may be attached to a frame member 427 via an adhesive 426.The trim piece 408, and in particular the flanges 428, may be capturedbetween the underside of the cover 402 and the frame member 427.Further, the adhesive 426 may contact and/or at least partially surroundthe bottom sides of the flanges 428, as well as other surfaces of thetrim piece 408, thereby contributing to the strength and stability ofthe trim piece 408 in the device.

FIG. 5 depicts an example cover structure 510 for use in a speaker port,as described herein. The cover structure 510 defines flanges 514, aswell as a recessed region 512. The recessed region 512 may includeholes, which may be defined by a mesh member, such as the mesh member410, or defined through the material of the cover structure 510 itself(e.g., by laser-forming, drilling, or otherwise forming holes through awall structure of the cover structure 510). The recessed region may berecessed relative to a frame region 513 that surrounds the recessedregion. In some cases, the recessed region corresponds to a thinnedregion of the cover structure 510. For example, the thickness betweenthe top (exterior) surface of the recessed region and the bottom(interior) surface of the recessed region may be less than the thicknessbetween the top (exterior) surface of the frame region 513 and thebottom (interior) surface of the frame region 513. Where the recessedregion is part of the cover structure 510 itself, the recessed regionmay have a minimum thickness between about 20 microns and about 40microns (e.g., 25 microns, 30 microns, 35 microns, etc.). The recessedregion 512 may have a width dimension (e.g., the dimension 515). Thedimension 515 may be about 0.4 mm, about 0.5 mm, about 0.6 mm, about 0.7mm, or any other suitable dimension. The recessed region may besurrounded by the frame region 513, as noted above. The frame region 513may be between about 0.3 mm and about 0.6 mm thick. The holes in themesh and/or defined through the cover structure 510 may have a diameter(or other opening size) between about 90 microns and about 110 microns(e.g., about 90 microns, about 100 microns, about 105 microns, about 110microns, etc.). The web that defines the holes (e.g., the material ofthe cover structure that is between the holes) may have a minimumthickness between about 20 microns and about 40 microns (e.g., 25microns, 30 microns, 35 microns, etc.).

FIG. 5 illustrates one example pattern of holes. In other examples, amonolithic cover structure may have a different pattern of holes and/orholes of a different size or shape (e.g., square-shaped holes,pentagon-shaped holes, etc.). For example, a first corner (e.g.,proximate a top side of a device) of the perforated region may have afirst minimum (e.g., smallest) radius of curvature, while a secondcorner (e.g., towards a bottom side of the device) has a second minimumradius of curvature that is different from the first minimum radius ofcurvature. The same radii of curvature may be mirrored on the oppositeside of the perforated region. In this way, the perforated regionexhibits an asymmetry about a horizontal axis (e.g., left-to-right inFIG. 4B). In some cases, the frame region of a cover structure alsoexhibits a similar asymmetry about a horizontal axis, as defined by thetop corners of the frame region having a minimum radius of curvaturethat is smaller than the bottom corners of the frame region. A minimum(e.g., smallest) thickness of the frame region (e.g., distance betweenthe perforated region and the outer periphery of the cover structure)may be between about 0.2 mm and about 0.3 mm. In some cases, a minimumthickness of the frame region (e.g., distance between the perforatedregion and the outer periphery of the cover structure) may be betweenabout 0.05 mm and about 0.2 mm.

In some cases, a perforated region may have corners with a substantiallyequal radius of curvature. For example, a first corner (e.g., proximatea top side of a device) of the perforated region may have a firstminimum radius of curvature, and a second corner (e.g., towards a bottomside of the device) has a second minimum radius of curvature that is thesame as the first minimum radius of curvature. The same radii ofcurvature may be mirrored on the opposite side of the perforated region.In this way, the perforated region is symmetrical about a horizontalaxis (e.g., left-to-right in FIG. 4B). In some cases, the frame regionexhibits an asymmetry about a horizontal axis, or it may besubstantially symmetrical (e.g., having four corners with substantiallythe same radius of curvature).

The corners of the perforated regions as described above, as well as theframe regions, may have a constant radius of curvature (e.g., they maydefine a portion of a circle), or a variable radius of curvature (e.g.,they may define a non-circular spline).

FIG. 6A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 400,illustrating an acoustic path through the device and to (and through)the speaker port 401. The device 400 includes a speaker module 620,which may correspond to or be an embodiment of the speaker module 250,350, or any other speaker module described herein. The device 400 alsoincludes a cover 402, a display 610, a frame member 611 coupled to aninterior surface of the front cover 402, and a back cover 604. Thespeaker module 620 may be positioned below an active region of thedisplay 610 (e.g., a region of the display 610 that is configured todisplay graphical output to a user).

The back cover 604 is attached to a housing structure via an adhesive608. The housing structure may be formed from or include the housingmember 404 and a molded member 607. The molded member 607 may be apolymer material (e.g., a fiber-reinforced polymer) that is moldedagainst the housing member 404 and/or other housing members and/orcomponents of the device 400. In some cases, the molded member 607 isunitary with one or more joint structures and/or joining elements of thedevice 400 (e.g., joint structures 122, 218, 318, joining elements 1416,1418, 1420, 1422, 1424, and 1426, or any other joint structure/joiningelement described herein). Thus, the molded member 607 may define atleast a portion of an exterior surface of the housing structure, as wellas defining part of an acoustic path, as described herein.

The speaker module 620 may be coupled to the molded member 607. Forexample, a portion of the speaker module 620 may be inserted into a holedefined by the molded member 607. FIG. 6A shows a portion of the speakermodule 620 positioned in the hole of the molded member 607, with asealing member 632 (attached to the speaker module 620) forming a sealbetween the speaker module 620 and a surface of the hole. The sealingmember 632 may form a seal between the acoustic path (defined by pathportions 628, 630, and 634, for example) and other areas inside thedevice 400. In particular, in some cases, water, liquids, orcontaminants are not prevented from entering into the acoustic paththrough the speaker port 401. Accordingly, the seal between the speakermodule 620 and the molded member 607 may help prevent any water,liquids, or other contaminants that have entered the acoustic path fromescaping into other areas of the device 400, and may also help preventacoustic losses as sound passes through the acoustic path. A barrier 622(e.g., a mesh or other material that allows sound to pass through) maybe positioned in the speaker module 620 and between a speaker driver 624and the speaker port 401. The barrier 622 may help inhibit liquids orcontaminants from contacting or collecting on the speaker driver 624.The speaker driver 624 may be or may include a speaker diaphragm, andmay produce sound that is directed through the acoustic path to thespeaker port 401. More particularly, sound from the speaker driver 624may pass through a first path portion 628, a second path portion 630,and a third path portion 634, and ultimately through the speaker port401 (e.g., through the mesh member 410 or other holes or openingsprovided in the speaker port 401).

As noted above, the acoustic path may be defined by path portions 628,630, and 634. The first path portion 628 may be defined by the speakermodule 620, may extend from the speaker driver 624 to the second pathportion, and may be configured to direct sound from the speaker driver624 to the speaker port opening. At least a portion of the first pathportion 628 may extend under an active region of the display 610. Atleast a portion of the first path portion 628 may extend under thefront-facing sensor array 411 (FIGS. 4A-4B). The second path portion 630may be defined by the molded member 607. In some cases, the second pathportion 630 is formed as a result of the molding process of the moldedmember 607, while in some cases it is formed subsequently to the moldingprocess (e.g., it is drilled or otherwise machined after the moldedmember 607 is molded against the housing member 404 and cured). A thirdpath portion 634 may be defined by the housing member 404. Moreparticularly, at least one side or surface of the third path portion 634may be defined by the housing member 404. In some cases, another side orsurface of the third path portion 634 (e.g., an opposite side or surfaceof the third path portion 634) may be defined by another component orstructure of the device 400, such as the frame member 611 of a topmodule (e.g., a frame member that is attached to the cover 402 and isused to couple the cover 402 to the molded member 607 and/or otherdevice components or structures).

FIG. 6B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 400,showing the speaker module 620 decoupled from the molded member 607, andillustrating a manner in which the speaker module 620 may be coupled toand sealed against the molded member 607.

The speaker module 620 may be coupled to the molded member 607 via atranslation indicate by arrows 648. The translation may be substantiallyhorizontal (as depicted in the figure), which may correspond to alateral translation of the speaker module 620 in a positive y direction(e.g., towards the housing member 404, which may correspond to thehousing member 213 in FIG. 2 , for example).

When the speaker module 620 is inserted into the hole defined in themolded member 607, an end surface 646 of the speaker module may contacta surface 644 of the molded member 607. The contact between the endsurface 646 and the surface 644 may serve as a datum to define they-position of the speaker module 620 in the device. Even if the endsurface 646 does not contact the surface 644, the end surface 646 andthe surface 644 may together define a maximum y-position of the speakermodule 620 in the device, and may help inhibit free movement of thespeaker module 620.

Similarly, the molded member 607 may define a hole having a sealingsurface 640, which the sealing member 632 contacts to seal the acousticpath. The sealing member 632, which may be a polymer material such as arubber, silicone (e.g., a molded liquid silicone rubber), foam, or thelike, may be deformed against the sealing surface 640 to define theseal. The speaker module 620 may also define a flange portion 633 thatacts as a hard-stop between the speaker module 620 and the molded member607. The flange portion 633 may define a maximum z-position of thespeaker module 620 within the system and/or inhibit motion of thespeaker module 620 in the z-direction. The vertical position or verticaldirection in FIG. 6B may be referred to as a z-position or z-direction(e.g., a direction extending generally perpendicularly from a rear coverto a front cover of a device). In some cases, the flange portion 633 mayprevent the sealing member 632 from causing the speaker module 620 to beforced too far downward or upward (e.g., in the positive or negativez-direction) due to the forces produced by the deflection and/ordeformation of the sealing member 632. The flange portion 633 may extendabove the interface between the sealing member 632 and the speakermodule 620, such that the flange portion 633 acts as a hard-stop in thez-direction before the sealing member 632 reaches maximum deformation ordeflection. For example, a force that would tend to move or misalign thespeaker module 620 in the z-direction would result in the flange portion633 interfering with the molded member 607 or other structure, therebyinhibiting further movement of the speaker module 620 and defining thelimits of its position in the z-direction (e.g., rather than allowingthe force to continue to deform the sealing member 632 and produce moremisalignment).

FIG. 6C depicts another example speaker module 650 and molded member 655that may be used in a device as described herein. As shown in FIG. 6C,an end face of the speaker module 650 may be coupled to a correspondingface of the molded member 655 such that an outlet of the speaker module650 communicates with a hole in the molded member 655 to direct soundthrough the acoustic path defined by the molded member 655. A sealingmember 652 may be positioned between the end face of the speaker module650 and the corresponding face of the molded member 655 to provide anacoustic and/or environmental (e.g., liquid, debris) seal. The sealingmember 652 may be a compliant material (e.g., a foam, an elastomergasket). In some cases, the sealing member 652 is or includes anadhesive, such as an adhesive film, a PSA, HSA, or the like. The speakermodule 650 may be secured to the device with fasteners, brackets, or thelike and, in the case where the sealing member 652 is or includesadhesives, the speaker module 650 may be secured at least in part by theadhesive.

As noted above, the speaker port 401 may provide acoustic access to bothan internal speaker and an internal microphone. In some cases, thedevice may include one or more structures configured to provide acousticseparation between the acoustic paths for the speaker and microphone.One example structure is the separator 424 that is positioned in thespeaker port cover structure (FIGS. 4B, 4C). FIG. 7A depicts a partialcross-sectional view of the device 400, illustrating an acoustic paththrough the speaker port 401 to a microphone module 700. FIG. 7Aillustrates an example boot member 714 (or simply boot 714) that maydefine part of an acoustic path from the speaker port 401 to themicrophone module 700.

In particular, a microphone module 700 may be coupled to an underside ofa cover 402 and/or a top module. In some cases, as shown, the microphonemodule 700 is coupled to a substrate 702, which is in turn coupled to aportion of a frame member 706 or other component of the top module(e.g., via an adhesive 704). The substrate 702 may define a hole 712that allows the microphone module 700 to acoustically couple to theacoustic path defined through the frame member 706. A membrane 713 maybe positioned over the hole 712 (e.g., covering the hole) to inhibit thepassage of water and/or other contaminants, while allowing the passageof sound. One or more additional membranes may be incorporated into themicrophone module 700 as well. The membranes, including the membrane713, may be meshes, screens, foams, or the like, and may be formed ofany suitable material, such as polymer, metal, or the like.

The frame member 706 may define a first path portion 710 of the acousticpath to direct sound from the speaker port 401 to the microphone module700. The frame member 706 may correspond to or be an embodiment of theframe member 204, 304, 611, or any other frame member described. Inother cases, the frame member 706 is a separate component that iscoupled to the cover 402 and/or a separate frame or structural componentof the device.

The boot 714 may be positioned at an end of the first path portion 710and may define a second path portion 708 of the acoustic path. The boot714 may be formed from a compliant material, such as an elastomer, andmay seal against the frame member 706 (e.g., be in intimate contact withthe frame member 706) to help define the acoustic path and inhibitacoustic interference between the acoustic path and other areas of thedevice. Stated another way, the boot 714 may seal against the framemember 706 to provide acoustic isolation to the acoustic path and themicrophone module 700 more generally.

The boot 714 may define a corner or turn portion of the acoustic path tothe microphone, and a portion of the boot 714 may extend at leastpartially into a cavity defined at least in part by the trim piece 408.For example, in implementations that include a separator, such as theseparator 424, a cavity in the trim piece 408 may be defined on threesides by the trim piece 408, and on a fourth side by the separator. Aportion of the boot 714 (e.g., the top-most portion of the boot as shownin FIG. 7A) may extend into the cavity so that sound entering throughthe mesh member 410 is directed along the acoustic path to themicrophone, and so that sound from other sources (e.g., a speakermodule) is inhibited from entering the acoustic path. Generally, theseparator 424 may define two separated cavities or volumes along theunderside of the speaker port cover structure, and the boot 714 mayextend into one of those cavities or volumes, while the speaker moduleacoustically communicates to the other cavity or volume. This mayprovide a measure of acoustic isolation between the speaker and themicrophone.

FIG. 7B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 400,illustrating an acoustic path through the speaker port 401 to anotherexample microphone module 720. As shown in FIG. 7B, and similar to FIG.7A, the microphone module 720 may be coupled to an underside of a cover402 and/or a top module. In some cases, as shown, the microphone module720 is coupled to a substrate 722, which is in turn coupled to amounting plate 724. The mounting plate 724 defines a base portion 725and a waveguide 726 that extends from the base portion 725. Thewaveguide 726 extends into a hole formed in the frame member 706 (orother component of the top module) and defines a portion of the acousticpath that is defined from the speaker port 401 to the microphone module720. More particularly, the acoustic path may be defined, at least inpart, by the boot 714, the channel defined through the frame member 706,and the waveguide 726.

A sealing member 727, such as an O-ring, may define a seal between thewaveguide 726 and the frame member 706 (or whatever other component(s)the waveguide 726 extends into). The interface between the waveguide 726and the hole helps align the microphone module 720 with the frame member706. Further, the sealing member 727 helps form an acoustic andenvironmental seal between the acoustic path defined through the framemember 706 and to the microphone module 720. For example, the sealingmember 727 may inhibit water or other contaminants that may enter theacoustic path (e.g., through the speaker port 401) from escaping theacoustic path and entering other internal areas of a device. The sealingmember 727 may also provide a retention force due to the frictionbetween the sealing member 727 and the surfaces of the hole in the framemember 706 (optionally aided by the compression of the sealing member727 between the frame member 706 and the waveguide 726). The sealingmember 727 may be retained by a lip, channel, and/or groove defined bythe waveguide 726, as shown in FIG. 7B.

In some cases, the mounting plate 724 is adhered to the frame member706. Where an adhesive is used, it may be positioned between and adheredto the base portion 725 and the frame member 706. Alternatively oradditionally, the mounting plate 724 (and thus the microphone module 720and substrate 722) may be secured to the frame member 706 usingbrackets, cowlings, fasteners, or the like. In some cases, the frictionfrom the sealing member 727 is sufficient to retain the mounting plate724 to the frame member 706.

The substrate 722, to which the microphone module 720 may be soldered,adhered, or otherwise secured, may be secured to the mounting plate 724via an adhesive 728 (e.g., a PSA, HSA, adhesive foam, or the like). Thesubstrate 722 may be a circuit board (e.g., a rigid or flexible circuitboard), and may include conductive traces that interconnect themicrophone module 720 with other circuitry of the device.

A membrane 729 may be positioned over a hole in the substrate 722 (e.g.,covering the hole) to inhibit the passage of water and/or othercontaminants into the microphone module 720, while allowing the passageof sound. The membrane 729 may be a mesh, screen, foam, or the like, andmay be formed of any suitable material, such as polymer, metal, or thelike. The membrane 729 may be positioned in place using a compliantstack 730, which may include one or more layers of adhesive, foam,and/or other materials. The compliant stack 730 may adhere or be adheredto both the base portion 725 of the mounting plate 724 and the substrate722.

FIG. 7C depicts an exploded view of the microphone subassembly shown inFIG. 7B, illustrating additional details of the components of themicrophone subassembly. As shown in FIG. 7B, the sealing member 727 maybe positioned around the waveguide 726, which defines a lip (as shown),groove, slot, or other retention feature that retains the sealing member727 in place on the waveguide 726. The base portion 725 of the mountingplate 724 is secured to the substrate 722 (e.g., a circuit board and/orcircuit board assembly) via an adhesive 728 (e.g., an HSA, PSA, adhesivefoam, etc.). The adhesive 728 may define a hole in which the membrane729 and compliant stack 730 may be positioned. As described above, themembrane 729 may be positioned over a hole 731 that extends through thesubstrate 722 and provides acoustic access to the microphone module 720.In some cases, the surface(s) that define the hole 731 are consideredpart of the acoustic path that extends from the speaker port 401 to themicrophone module 720.

The microphone module 720 may include conductive pads 732 that areconductively coupled (e.g., soldered) to corresponding conductive padson the substrate 722 to facilitate communicative coupling between themicrophone module 720 and other circuitry. The microphone module 720also includes a microphone sensor element 733. As shown in FIG. 7C, themicrophone sensor element 733 is positioned proximate the hole 731,though in other cases it may be positioned elsewhere in the microphonemodule 720.

FIG. 8A depicts another view of the boot 714 of FIG. 7A, showing how theboot 714 may be integrated with the cover 402 and the frame 706. Inparticular, the boot 714 may be positioned below the trim piece 408 andagainst the frame member 706 in the area where the first path portionthrough the frame member 706 ends. As shown, an adhesive 800 (e.g., aPSA, HSA, adhesive foam, etc.) may adhere the boot 714 to the framemember 706.

FIGS. 8B-8C depict other example configurations of boots and/or acousticseparators that may be used to acoustically isolate a speaker from amicrophone. FIG. 8B shows a cover 810 separated from a frame member 811.The frame member 811 (which may be an embodiment of the frame member706) defines an output port 809 at an end of an acoustic path portiondefined by the frame member 811. A microphone may be coupled to theframe member 811 along a bottom surface of the frame member (as shown inFIG. 7A), optionally before the frame member 811 is attached to thecover 810. A boot 814 may be attached to the frame member 811 withadhesive 816. The boot 814 may define a snout-portion that extends intothe recess defined under the trim piece 812, in a manner similar to theboot 714 in FIG. 7A. The boot 814 may be attached to the frame member811 prior to the frame member 811 being coupled to the cover 810.

FIG. 8C depicts an acoustic isolation structure 824 that may bepositioned below the trim piece 822. The acoustic isolation structure824 may include a first passage 826 for porting sound to a microphonemodule, and a second passage 828 for porting sound to a speaker module.The first and second passages 826, 828 may define portions of theacoustic paths to the microphone and speaker modules, respectively. Theacoustic isolation structure may be adhered or otherwise attached to thecover 820 and/or the frame member 821, and may be attached after theframe member 821 is coupled to the cover 820.

FIG. 9A depicts a portion of a device 900. The device 900 may correspondto or be an embodiment of the device 100, 140, 200, 300, or any otherdevice described herein. The device 900 is shown without a cover and/ordisplay, such that internal components of the device 900 are visible.FIG. 9A shows a housing 904, as well as a frame member 906 of a topmodule (or a representation of where a frame member would be).

FIG. 9A generally illustrates a front-facing sensor region 901. With theexception of an ambient light sensor 922, the components of thefront-facing sensor region 901 may be outside of an active area of thedisplay. The front-facing sensor region 901 (which may also be referredto as a notch, due to the manner in which it extends downward into thedisplay region) may have a width 903 that is less than about 60%, lessthan about 50%, or less than about 40% of the width of the display area902. In some cases, one or more of the components in the front-facingsensor region 901 provide multiple functions, thereby allowing the widthof the front-facing sensor region 901 to be minimized or reduced. Insome cases, the width 903 of the front-facing sensor region 901 is about30 millimeters or less.

The device 900 includes, in the front-facing sensor region 901, afront-facing camera 908, a proximity sensor 912, a combination floodilluminator and dot projector 918 (e.g., a biometric sensor module), andan infrared light sensor (or camera) 920. The device 900 also includesan ambient light sensor 922 positioned within an active display region902 of the device 900. FIG. 9A also illustrates an example positioningof a microphone module 910, which may be attached to an underside of theframe member 906. As described herein, the microphone module 910 maycommunicate with an acoustic boot 914 in the speaker port of the device900.

The combination flood illuminator and dot projector 918 (which maycorrespond to or be an embodiment of the combination flood illuminatorand dot projector 416) may be or may include a biometric sensor module.The combination flood illuminator and dot projector 918 may project bothan infrared flood illumination of an object, as well as a pattern ofinfrared dots or points of light. The infrared light sensor (or camera920) may capture an image of an object (e.g., a user's face) using theprojected flood illumination and dot pattern. The images captured by thesensor 920 may be used to authenticate a user, as described above.Further, by combining the flood illuminator and dot projector into asingle module, valuable space may be saved in the front-facing sensorregion 901, thereby allowing for a greater amount of active display areato be provided.

FIG. 9B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 900, viewedalong line 9B-9B in FIG. 9A, depicting an example configuration of thefront-facing camera 908. The front-facing camera 908 may include a lensassembly 923 and an image sensor 924, both contained in a housing 921.The camera 908 may be an auto-focus camera in which the lens assembly923 is configured to extend, contract, or otherwise change length orposition within the housing 921 to focus an image on the image sensor924. In such cases, a front surface of the lens assembly 923 may beconfigured to move vertically as indicated by arrow 928.

In cases where the front surface of the lens assembly 923 moves towardsand/or away from the cover 929 (e.g., the front cover of the device900), it may not be feasible to mount the lens assembly 923 directly tothe interior surface of the cover 929. Accordingly, FIG. 9B illustratesan example configuration for mounting an auto-focus camera to theinterior side of a cover 929. For example, the housing 921 may becoupled to a mounting bracket 925 (e.g., via adhesive, welding,soldering, brazing, fasteners, or the like). The mounting bracket 925may be attached to the interior surface of the cover 929, such as viaadhesive 927, fasteners, or the like. The mounting bracket 925 may havea height that provides sufficient clearance between the lens assembly923 and the interior surface of the cover 929 to facilitate thenecessary movement of the front of the lens assembly 923 (indicated byarrow 928).

The mounting bracket 925 and the adhesive 927 may extend completelyaround the periphery of the lens assembly. In this way, the mountingbracket 925 and the adhesive 927 inhibit ingress of dust or othercontaminants into the housing 921 and prevent light from the display 926(or other light sources) from entering the lens assembly 923 andpotentially negatively affecting images captured by the camera orotherwise interfering with the operation of the camera.

While FIG. 9B illustrates an auto-focus camera, the same or similarconstruction may be used for fixed focus cameras as well. In such cases,the lens assembly may not be configured to move vertically, but insteadmay remain in a fixed length and/or position within the housing.

FIG. 9A depicts an example device 900 in which components of afront-facing sensor region are positioned outside of an active region ofthe display, in a “notch” region. In such cases, the display may definea notch-like recess or shape to accommodate the front-facing sensorregion, such that the display stack is not positioned between thesensors and the cover (e.g., the sensors are not covered by thedisplay). In other example devices, the display defines one or moreadditional holes, openings, or discontinuities, in addition to orinstead of the “notch,” to accommodate one or more components of thefront-facing sensor region. For example, FIGS. 9C and 9D illustrate anexample electronic device 930 in which a front-facing camera 932 ispositioned below a hole formed through a display stack 934. The displaystack 934 may also define a cut-away region, or notch, in which othercomponents of the front-facing sensor region may be positioned (e.g., amicrophone module, a flood and dot projector, an infrared light sensor,or the like).

In some cases, the region 933 of the display stack 934 that extendsaround (or partially around) the front-facing camera 932 is an activeportion of the display. For example, the region 933 may producegraphical outputs. In other cases, the region 933 is an inactive regionof the display stack 934 (e.g., that region of the display stack may beincapable of producing graphical outputs, or it may be capable ofproducing graphical outputs but configured to remain inactive). In caseswhere the region 933 is an inactive region of the display, a paint, ink,dye, mask, layer, or the like may be positioned on top of the display inthat region such that the region 933 has a matching visual appearance tothe other areas of the front-facing sensor region.

A border 931 may extend around the camera 932 to visually indicate thatthe camera 932 is within the front-facing sensor region, and to providevertical symmetry to the front-facing sensor region. In such cases, theborder shown above and to the right of the camera 932 in FIG. 9C may notbe present. The border 931 may be a paint, ink, dye, or other structureor material.

FIG. 9D depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 930 of FIG.9C, illustrating an example configuration of the camera 932 and thedisplay stack 934. The camera 932, which may be an autofocus or fixedfocus camera, may include a lens assembly 937 and an image sensor 938,both contained in a housing 939. The camera 932 may also include ashroud 936 that is attached to the housing 939 and to the display stack934 (e.g., with adhesive 940). The shroud 936 and the adhesive 940 mayextend completely around the periphery of the lens assembly. In thisway, the shroud 936 and the adhesive 940 inhibit ingress of dust orother contaminants into the housing 939. Further, the shroud 936 extendsalmost completely to (and optionally contacts) the interior surface ofthe cover 935 (which may be an embodiment of the cover 102, or any otherfront covers described herein), thereby shielding the lens assembly 937from light emitted from the sides of the display 934, which mayotherwise enter the lens assembly 937 and potentially negativelyaffecting images captured by the camera or otherwise interfering withthe operation of the camera.

FIG. 9D depicts the camera 932 positioned in a hole in the display stack934, such that the display stack surrounds the wall portion of theshroud 936 (as illustrated by the display stack 934 having portions bothon the left and right side of the shroud 936). The same or similarshroud construction may also be used in implementations where the camera932 is not positioned in a hole in a display stack 934. In suchimplementations, the portion of the display stack 934 that is shown onthe left side of FIG. 9D may not be present and/or it may be replaced bya different structural component.

FIG. 9E depicts a partial cross-sectional view of another exampleconfiguration of a front-facing camera. The camera 942, which may be anautofocus or fixed focus camera, may include a lens assembly 941 and animage sensor 951, both contained in a housing 943. The camera 942 mayalso include a shroud 944 that is attached to the housing 943 andoptionally to the display stack 946 (e.g., with adhesive 945) andoptionally to a frame or other component of the top module of a device.In some cases, the shroud 944 is not attached to the display stack 946.The camera 942 also includes a ring member 947 that is attached to theshroud 944 (e.g., via adhesive 945) and to the interior surface of thecover 949 (which may be an embodiment of the cover 102, or any otherfront covers described herein). The ring member 947 may extendcompletely around the periphery of the lens assembly, and may be adheredto the interior surface of the cover 949 via adhesive 948 (e.g., PSA,HSA, adhesive foam, or the like). In this way, the ring member 947 andthe adhesive 948 inhibit ingress of dust or other contaminants into thehousing 943. Further, because the ring member 947 is adhered to orotherwise contacts the interior surface of the cover 949, the ringmember 947 shields the lens assembly 941 from light emitted from theside of the display 946, which may otherwise enter the lens assembly 941and potentially negatively affecting images captured by the camera orotherwise interfering with the operation of the camera. Theconfiguration of the camera in FIG. 9E may be implemented in a devicewith a hole through its display stack to accommodate the camera (asshown in FIG. 9C), or in a device where the camera is positioned outsidethe outer periphery of the display (as shown in FIG. 9A). In the formercase, component 950 may represent part of the display stack 946, whilein the latter case, component 950 may represent a frame or othercomponent of the top module of a device.

FIG. 9F depicts a partial cross-sectional view of another exampleconfiguration of a front-facing camera 952. The camera 952, which may bean autofocus or fixed focus camera, may include a lens assembly 953 andan image sensor 962, both contained in a housing 954. The camera 952 mayalso include a shroud 956 that is attached to the housing 954 andoptionally to the display stack 958 (e.g., with adhesive 957) andoptionally to a frame or other component of the top module of a device.In some cases, the shroud 956 is not attached to the display stack 958.

As shown in FIG. 9F, the shroud 956 does not contact or otherwise extendsufficiently towards the cover 961 to shield the lens assembly 953 fromlight that may leak from the edge of the display stack 958. Accordingly,a shield 959 may be applied to an edge of the display stack 958. Theshield 959 may be a paint, ink, dye, film, or other material orcomponent that is opaque or otherwise blocks or reduces light fromleaving the display stack 958 through the edge. In some cases, any edgeof the display stack 958 that is proximate an optical device, such as alens assembly, image sensor, light sensor, etc., may include a shieldsimilar to the shield 959 along that edge.

The configuration of the camera in FIG. 9F may be implemented in adevice with a hole through its display stack to accommodate the camera(as shown in FIG. 9C), or in a device where the camera is positionedoutside the outer periphery of the display (as shown in FIG. 9A). In theformer case, component 960 may represent part of the display stack 958,while in the latter case, component 960 may represent a frame or othercomponent of the top module of a device. Where the component 960represents part of the display stack 958, the edge of that portion ofthe display stack that is exposed to the camera 952 may include a shieldsimilar to the shield 959. In such cases, the shield 959 may be a singleunitary component, such as a film, paint, ink, dye, or the like, thatextends along a continuous edge of the display stack.

FIGS. 9B and 9D-9F illustrate example lens configurations that includemitigations to prevent or limit the effects of light contaminants (e.g.,dust) on the operation of the camera. For example, FIG. 9B describes amounting bracket that attaches to an interior surface of a cover to sealthe camera; FIG. 9D describes a shroud that extends around the peripheryof a lens assembly to block light; FIG. 9E describes a ring member 947that attaches to an interior surface of a cover to seal the camera; andFIG. 9F describes a paint or other coating that is applied to the edgeof a display stack to reduce or prevent light leakage.

Cameras may also or alternatively be at least partially encapsulated bya curable material to help prevent or limit light leakage and othercontamination. FIG. 9G illustrates a portion of a device with afront-facing camera, illustrating how a camera, such as any of thecameras shown or described in FIGS. 9A-9F, may be at least partiallyencapsulated. In particular, a front-facing camera 962 (which may be anembodiment of the cameras 908, 932, 942, 952, or any other front-facingcamera described herein) may be positioned in a front-facing sensorregion of a device. The camera 962 may be positioned in a gap or spacethat is between a frame member 964 (which may be a polymer, metal,laminate stack, or other member or assembly of a top module) and adisplay stack 963. The frame member 964 and/or the display stack 963 maydefine curves or contours to at least partially surround or frame thecamera 962. A gap 969 may be defined between the camera 962 and theframe member 964 and the display stack 963.

The camera 962 may be attached to or otherwise positioned proximate theinterior surface of a cover. FIG. 9G shows a device with the coverremoved for ease of illustration, but it will be understood that a covermay be positioned over the camera 962, the display stack 963, and theframe member 964 (e.g., as if the cover is placed directly on the page).

In order to at least partially encapsulate the camera 962, a curablematerial may be introduced into the spaces between the display stack 963and the frame member 964 (e.g., spaces 968 and 967) and into the gap969. The curable material may be introduced through one or more holes(e.g., holes 965, 966) formed through a back component of the topmodule, such as a plate (e.g., the metal plate 1314, FIG. 13A). Thecurable material may flow along the interior surface of the cover,through the spaces 967 and 968, and into the gap 969. In some cases, oneof the holes 965, 966 is used as an injection port, and the other isused as a vent (or vacuum) port to help draw the curable material intothe desired locations. The curable material may at least partiallysurround the camera and may abut (and optionally adhere to) a housing,shroud, ring member, or other component of the camera, as well ascontacting (and optionally adhering to) the interior surface of thecover and any other components that it comes into contact with. Thecurable material may then be allowed to cure to form a seal around thecamera 962. As noted above, the cured material may help seal the camera962 against light and contaminants. The curable material may be anepoxy, glue, thermoset polymer, or the like.

FIG. 9H depicts a partial exploded view of a device, showing exampletechniques for aligning and/or securing a front-facing camera 972 to thetop module. FIG. 9H illustrates a cover 970 and a frame member 978defining a camera hole 976. The frame member 978 may be an assemblycomprising multiple components or materials, and may be configured to beattached to the cover 970 and to provide structural rigidity to the topmodule and attach the top module to other components of a device. Theframe member 978 may include other holes, openings, features, or thelike, to accommodate or attach to other top module components(including, for example, components of a front-facing sensor array),though for simplicity only the camera hole 976 is shown in FIG. 9H.

The camera 972 may be attached to the frame member 978 via adhesives,fasteners, brackets, or any other suitable technique. A lens assembly,shroud, or other portion of the camera 972 may extend through the hole976 in the frame member 978, and may attach to or otherwise be proximatethe interior surface of the cover 970, as shown and described withrespect to FIGS. 9B and 9D-9F. The frame member 978 may include eitheror both of an alignment ring 974 or an alignment pin 975. The alignmentring 974 may be affixed to the frame member 978 so that a hole throughthe alignment ring 974 is properly positioned relative to the hole 976.The camera 972 may be attached to or otherwise secured against thealignment ring 974. The alignment ring 974 may be configured to contactthe camera 972 and position the camera 972 in a fixed position relativeto the alignment ring 974, thereby establishing and fixing the positionof the camera 972 in the device. For example, a shroud or othercylindrical component of the camera 972 may contact the inner surface ofthe hole through the alignment ring 974 to establish and fix therelative positions of the camera 972 and the frame member 978 (at leastwithin a plane parallel to the cover 970). Alternatively oradditionally, the frame member 978 may include an alignment pin 975protruding from the frame member 978. The camera 972 may define analignment pin receptacle 973 (e.g., a blind hole formed into the camera972) into which the alignment pin 975 extends. When the camera 972 isassembled onto the frame member 978, the interface between the alignmentpin 975 and the alignment pin receptacle 973 establishes and fixes therelative position of the camera 972 and the frame member 978 (at leastwithin a plane parallel to the cover 970).

FIG. 10A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 900 viewedalong line 10A-10A in FIG. 9A. FIG. 10A illustrates an examplearrangement of the combination flood illuminator and dot projector 918and the infrared light sensor 920, shown below a cover 1000 (e.g.,corresponding to the cover 102 or any other cover described herein).

The infrared light sensor 920 may include a lens assembly 1012 (alsoreferred to as a second lens) and a light receiver, such as a sensorelement 1018. The lens assembly 1012 may include one or more lenselements and may focus an image onto the light receiver (e.g., thesensor element 1018) to capture an object that is illuminated by theflood and/or dot pattern projected by the combination flood illuminatorand dot projector 918. In some cases, the infrared light sensor 920produces a depth map of a user's face (or other object) based on the wayin which the user's face reflects the dot pattern. The sensor element1018 may be coupled to a substrate 1016 and the lens assembly 1012, thesensor element 1018, and the substrate 1016 may be contained in ahousing 1014. The housing 1014 may also contain components of thecombination flood illuminator and dot projector 918.

The combination flood illuminator and dot projector 918 includes a lensassembly 1002 (also referred to as a first lens), a dot pattern lightsource 1004 (also referred to as a first light source and/or lightemitter), and a flood illumination light source 1006 (also referred toas a second light source and/or light emitter). The lens assembly 1002may include one or more lens elements. The dot pattern light source 1004may produce and/or emit a pattern of light (e.g., a pattern of dots orpoints of infrared light), which may be projected, through the lensassembly 1002, onto an object. The dot pattern may be a grid of discretepoints of light, or a set of discrete points of light in anotherarrangement.

The dot pattern light source 1004 may be positioned relative to theoptical axis 1007 of the lens assembly 1002 such that the dots aresubstantially in focus and/or the dot pattern maintains a pattern ofdiscrete dots or points of infrared light. In some cases, the dotpattern light source 1004 is aligned with an optical axis 1007 of thelens assembly 1002 or otherwise positioned below a central region of thelens assembly 1002, as shown in FIG. 10A. In some cases, the dot patternlight source 1004 includes multiple discrete light-producing elements.In other cases, a pattern or mask is provided over one or morelight-producing elements to produce the pattern of dots.

The flood illumination light source 1006 may be configured to produce amore uniform flood of light (as compared to the dot pattern of the dotpattern light source 1004). In order to produce the flood of light, theflood illumination light source 1006 may be offset from the optical axis1007 of the lens assembly 1002, such that it is positioned below aperipheral region of the lens assembly 1002 (e.g., a region about aperiphery of the lens assembly 1002 and around the central region of thelens assembly 1002). For example, as shown in FIG. 10A, the floodillumination light source 1006 may be offset from the optical axis 1007by a distance 1010. In some cases, the flood illumination light source1006 may also be positioned at a different height, relative to the lensassembly 1002, than the dot pattern light source 1004. For example, asshown in FIGS. 10A-10C, the flood illumination light source 1006 may becloser to the lens assembly 1002 (e.g., it may be mounted on a spacer1005 or otherwise positioned nearer to the lens assembly 1002). In othercases it may be positioned lower than the dot pattern light source 1004(e.g., further from the lens assembly 1002). The positioning of the dotpattern light source 1004 and the flood illumination light source 1006may be related to a focal plane of the lens assembly 1002. For example,in some cases, the dot pattern light source 1004 is positioned at or inthe focal plane of the lens assembly 1002, and the flood illuminationlight source 1006 is offset from (e.g., not in) the focal plane of thelens assembly 1002. In other cases, the dot pattern light source 1004and the flood illumination light source 1006 are offset by differentdistances from the focal plane of the lens assembly 1002.

By positioning the flood illumination light source 1006 away from theoptical axis 1007 (and optionally closer to or further from the lensassembly 1002 than the dot pattern light source 1004), the light emittedby the flood illumination light source 1006 may be blurred or otherwiseprojected in a diffuse pattern, even if the light emitted by the floodillumination light source 1006 is one or multiple point sources oflight. More particularly, light passing through the lens assembly 1002at a distance from the optical axis (e.g., near an outer periphery ofthe lens elements in the lens assembly 1002) may not be rendered infocus, and instead may be blurry and/or diffuse, thereby producing aflood-like illumination pattern. In some cases, the illumination patternproduced by the flood illumination light source 1006, as projected bythe lens assembly 1002, may substantially uniformly illuminate a user'sface with a flood of infrared light when the device is held within aparticular distance from the user's face (e.g., between about 6 inchesand about 4 feet, or any other suitable distance range). In this way,the infrared light sensor 920 can capture an image (e.g., an infraredimage) of the user's face for purposes of authentication or the like.More particularly, the flood of infrared light is reflected by theuser's face to produce an image of the user's face via the light sensor920 (and more particularly the sensor element 1018).

FIG. 10B illustrates the dot pattern illumination light source 1004projecting a pattern of dots through the lens assembly 1002, asillustrated by the illumination pattern 1020. For example, the centralregion of the lens assembly 1002 may focus the pattern of light emittedby the dot pattern illumination light source 1004 onto an object.

FIG. 10C illustrates the flood illumination light source 1006 projectinga diffuse, flood-like pattern of illumination along an off-axis paththrough the lens assembly 1002, as illustrated by the illuminationpattern 1022. While FIGS. 10B and 10C each illustrate only oneillumination pattern, it will be understood that both illuminationpatterns may be produced at the same time. In some cases, theillumination patterns are produced in an alternating pattern, such thateach illumination pattern is incident on an object for a period of timein which the other is not incident on the object.

In some cases, the flood illumination light source 1006 includesmultiple light emitting elements, such as an array of light emittingelements positioned in a radial array, with each light emitting elementoffset from the optical axis 1007. Both the flood illumination lightsource 1006 and the dot pattern illumination light source 1004 may be ormay include one or more infrared laser light sources, such asvertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (“VCSEL”) modules, or any othersuitable light-producing elements. As described above, the VCSEL modulesmay produce light in an infrared spectrum. In some cases, the lightproduced by the flood illumination light source 1006 and the dot patternillumination light source 1004 is not generally visible to the unaidedhuman eye.

FIG. 11A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 900,viewed along line 11A-11A in FIG. 9A, and illustrating an exampleconfiguration of the ambient light sensor 922. The ambient light sensor922 may include a light sensor module with a light sensing element 1110and a light-transmissive cover element 1112 (e.g., a glass, polymer,sapphire, or other light-transmissive material(s)) in a housing 1114.The light-transmissive cover element 1112 (e.g., diffuser) may beconfigured to diffuse light to produce a more uniform illumination onthe light sensing element 1110. The light sensing element 1110 may be aphoto-sensitive system or component, and may detect variouscharacteristics of light, including intensity, color, color temperature,or the like.

The housing 1114 may be attached to a bracket 1108, which may in turn beattached to a layer 1104 below display components 1102 (e.g., displaylayers). The bracket 1108 may be attached to the layer 1104 viaadhesive, for example. The layer 1104 may be part of a display stackthat includes both the layer 1104 and the display components 1102, or itmay be a separate component. The display components 1102 may include oneor more display layers that produce graphical outputs visible through acover 1100, as well as one or more electrode layers that provide touchand/or force-sensing functionality. As described in greater detail withrespect to FIGS. 11B-11C and 12A-12B, the ambient light sensor 922 maybe configured to detect an ambient light (e.g., light outside of thedevice) through the display 1102 and the cover 1100.

The layer 1104 may be an opaque masking layer that defines a hole 1105.The hole 1105 may define the smallest aperture in the optical systemthat includes the ambient light sensor 922, and thus may be the limitingfactor in the amount and angle of light that can enter the ambient lightsensor 922. The area of the hole 1105 may be smaller than the area ofthe light sensing element 1110.

The layer 1104 may be formed from any suitable material, such as a metal(e.g., a metal plate or metal foil), polymer, ink, or the like. In somecases, the location of the hole 1105 is tightly controlled with respectto the display components 1102, such that the hole 1105 is aligned witha known set of pixels defined by the display components 1102. Thus, asdescribed below, the device can compensate for the light being producedby the pixels above and/or nearby the hole 1105 with specificity. Byforming the hole in a layer 1104 that is part of the display stack, ahigh degree of accuracy can be achieved between the location of the hole1105 and the intended pixels. By contrast, if the light-limitingaperture of the system were positioned in the ambient light sensor 922,the accuracy of the alignment between the ambient light sensor 922 andthe hole 1105 would be dependent on the accuracy of the assembly of theambient light sensor 922 to the display stack, which may be lower thancan be achieved by forming the hole in a layer of the display stackitself. Further, because the layer 1104 is part of the display stack, itmay be securely retained to the other layers of the display stack, suchas via adhesive (e.g., an adhesive that extends along the entire orsubstantially the entire area of the display stack between the layer1104 and an adjacent layer of the display stack). This coupling betweenthe layer 1104 and the adjacent layer of the display stack provides astable, durable alignment between the hole 1105 and the pixels aboveand/or nearby the hole 1105. Further, by forming the smallest aperture(e.g., the hole 1105) in a layer of the display stack, rather than aseparate component that may be knocked loose or otherwise more likely toshift relative to the display stack, the alignment between the hole 1105may remain stable through extensive use.

In some cases, the ambient light sensor 922 is positioned proximate anedge or boundary of the active area of the display stack in order toreduce the amount of light from the display that can enter the ambientlight sensor. For example, the ambient light sensor 922 (and moreparticularly the hole 1105) may be positioned about 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.5mm, 2.0 mm, or any other suitable distance (e.g., left-to-right in FIG.11A) from the edge of the active area of the display. The hole 1105 mayhave dimensions of between about 0.25 and about 0.75 mm in they-direction of the device (left-to-right in FIG. 11A), and between about5.0 and about 7.0 mm in the x-direction of the device (into the page inFIG. 11A).

FIGS. 11B-11C depict a partial front view of the device 900,illustrating an example operation of the ambient light sensor 922. Asnoted above, the ambient light sensor 922 detects and/or senses ambientlight (e.g., a color, color temperature, intensity, or other property ofthe light in the environment external to the device 900) through adisplay stack as well as through one or more electrode layers on orintegrated with the display stack. However, the display stack emitslight in order to produce graphical outputs. Because the ambient lightsensor 922 detects light conditions through the display, the light fromthe display may interfere with or prevent accurate readings of theambient light conditions. Accordingly, the ambient light sensor 922 maybe configured to capture measurements during a time when the pixels overthe ambient light sensor 922 are not illuminated. In particular, whenproducing graphical outputs, the display may produce a vertical blankinginterval 1122, which is a horizontal region of the display in which thepixels are not illuminated or producing light. The vertical blankinginterval 1122 scrolls vertically along the display area (e.g., from atop of the display to a bottom of the display). Accordingly, the ambientlight sensor 922 may be configured to capture measurements or samplesover a duration that includes a time when the vertical blanking interval1122 is positioned over the ambient light sensor 922. While the instantdiscussion refers to a vertical blanking interval 1122 by way ofexample, other types of blanking intervals may also be used, includingregions of inactive pixels that are included in the frames of thegraphical output solely for the purpose of providing an inactive areafor ambient light sensing.

FIG. 11B illustrates the device 900 with the display 1102 producing agraphical output 1120 and the vertical blanking interval 1122 movingdownward as indicated by arrow 1124. At this point in time, the verticalblanking interval 1122 is not positioned above the ambient light sensor922. Rather, the display pixels above the ambient light sensor 922 areactive and/or producing light (e.g., to output the graphical output1120). Accordingly, the ambient light sensor 922 may be in an inactivestate or otherwise not capturing or using ambient light measurementsduring this time.

FIG. 11C illustrates the device 900 at a time when the vertical blankinginterval 1122 is positioned directly over the ambient light sensor 922.The ambient light sensor 922 may capture measurements during this timewhen the vertical blanking interval 1122 is positioned over the ambientlight sensor 922 (or otherwise activate or use readings captured duringthis time). In some cases, the sensing window of the ambient lightsensor 922 (e.g., the time that the ambient light sensor 922 is activelymeasuring or using measurements of light through the display) is greaterthan the vertical blanking interval 1122. For example, the sensingwindow may begin and/or end while at least some of the pixels above theambient light sensor 922 are active. In some cases, the time that thevertical blanking interval 1122 is above the ambient light sensor 922 ismore than about 70% of the sensing window of the ambient light sensor922 (or more than about 80%, more than about 85%, or any other suitablevalue). The device 900 may synchronize the operation of the ambientlight sensor to the timing and/or position of the vertical blankinginterval 1122 to allow the ambient light measurements to be captured atan appropriate time. The operation of the ambient light sensor 922 maybe intermittent, such that it is only actively capturing measurementsduring the sensing window, and is inactive at other times. In othercases, the operation of the ambient light sensor 922 is capturingmeasurements more continuously, but the device 900 and/or the ambientlight sensor 922 only uses values captured during the sensing window.

In some cases, the device 900 also compensates for the light emitted bythe display in the area around the ambient light sensor 922. Forexample, even when capturing measurements through the vertical blankinginterval 1122, light from nearby active pixels (e.g., a subset of thepixels of the display) may be incident on or otherwise detectable by theambient light sensor 922, thereby giving inaccurate measurements of theambient light conditions. Accordingly, for ambient light measurementscaptured during a particular sensing window, the device 900 and/orambient light sensor 922 may subtract or otherwise modify the lightmeasurements based at least in part on the light being emitted by thepixels in an area 1125 surrounding the ambient light sensor 922. Thearea 1125 may correspond to an n×m grid of pixels, and may be positionedabove the ambient light sensor 922 (optionally centered above theambient light sensor 922). In some cases, the grid of pixels is 256×256pixels centered about the center of the hole 1105, though other sizesand alignments are also possible depending on, for example, the size ofthe ambient light sensor, the size of the pixels, the location of theambient light sensor relative to the active area of the display, theextent to which the light from nearby pixels is detectable by theambient light sensor, and the like. The size of the area 1125 may belarger than the hole 1105. Thus, the area 1125 includes a first subsetof pixels that are positioned over the hole 1105, and a second subset ofpixels that are positioned remote from the hole 1105.

Using the foregoing techniques, the ambient light sensor 922 receiveslight passing through the front cover 1100 and through the display 1102(e.g., the display layers of the display 1102), and, while the blankinginterval is positioned over the ambient light sensor 922, produces anoutput corresponding to the received ambient light. The device may thendetermine an ambient light value based at least in part on the output.The device may change a display parameter of the display stack based atleast in part on the ambient light value. For example, the device maychange a brightness, a color temperature, or the like, or determinewhether to activate or deactivate the entire display (e.g., turn thedisplay on or off).

As noted above, the ambient light sensor 922 may also be capturingambient light measurements through one or more electrode layers that areon or integrated with the display stack. The electrode layers may beused for any of various purposes, such as touch sensing, force sensing,display functionality, or the like. While the electrodes may appeartransparent to the unaided eye, they may interfere with the lightsensing functionality of the ambient light sensor 922 (e.g., byblocking, occluding, attenuating, or otherwise interfering with theambient light that is detected by the ambient light sensor 922). FIGS.12A-12B depict example arrangements of electrodes on electrode layers toreduce or eliminate the impact of the electrodes on the ambient lightsensing functionality.

FIG. 12A, corresponding to area 12-12 in FIG. 9A, shows an exampleelectrode pattern over the ambient light sensor 922. In particular, FIG.12A illustrates how electrodes may be co-located in an area above theambient light sensor 922. For example, electrodes in areas outside ofthe ambient light sensor 922, such as electrodes 1200-1 and 1202-1 maybe set apart from one another, and electrodes along a portion 1204 ofthe display that corresponds to or includes the ambient light sensor922, such as electrodes 1200-2 and 1202-2, are co-located (e.g., layeredon or over one another). As shown in FIG. 12A, the electrodes in theportion 1204 of the display are co-located along an entire length of thedisplay (e.g., from the top of the display to the bottom of thedisplay). In implementations where electrodes are instead or alsopositioned horizontally or along a different direction, the electrodesextending over the ambient light sensor 922 may also be co-located alongthe entire display. In some cases, all of the electrodes in the displayare co-located in the manner shown in the portion 1204.

FIG. 12B illustrates an example in which electrodes that are positionedover the ambient light sensor 922 are co-located with one another wherethey are over the ambient light sensor 922, but are set apart from oneanother in other areas of the display. For example, where electrodes1200-3 and 1202-3 are positioned over the ambient light sensor 922, theyare co-located, but they jog apart in an area outside of the ambientlight sensor 922 such that they are set apart.

The electrodes 1200-n and 1202-n may be positioned on differentsubstrates or the same substrate. In some cases, the electrodes 1200-nare positioned on a top surface of a substrate, and the electrodes1202-n are positioned on a bottom surface of the same substrate. In somecases, the electrodes 1200-n and 1202-n are on the same surface of thesame substrate. In some cases, the electrodes 1200-n and 1202-n are eachon different substrates.

While FIGS. 12A-12B illustrate two sets of electrodes, there may be moresets of electrodes than shown. Further, the electrodes 1200-n and 1202-nare shown as different electrodes for the purpose of illustration, butin an implementation they may be different electrodes of a single set ofotherwise identical electrodes. As noted above, the electrodes mayprovide various different types of functionality, including touch and/orforce sensing (e.g., capacitive sensing, resistive sensing, etc.),display functionality, or the like. The electrodes may be formed fromany suitable material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), transparentconductive oxides (TCO), conductive polymers, nanowire layers (e.g.,silver nanowire), or the like.

FIG. 13A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an example electronicdevice 1300, viewed along line 13A-13A in FIG. 1A. The electronic device1300 may correspond to or be an embodiment of the electronic devices100, 140, 200, 300, or any other device described herein.

The device 1300 may include a housing member 1302, which may correspondto or be an embodiment of the housing member 130. The housing member1302 may also represent other housing members of the devices describedherein, such as the housing members 124, 125, 126, 127, and 128. Thehousing member 1302 may define an exterior side surface 1303 of thedevice 1300. The device 1300 may also include a cover 1304, which maycorrespond to or be an embodiment of the cover 102 of FIGS. 1A-1B (orany other cover described herein). The cover 1304 may define a frontexterior surface 1306 of the device 1300, which may be planar. In somecases, the cover 1304 defines a chamfer 1305 that extends around theperiphery of the planar front exterior surface 1306 and extends betweenan edge of the front exterior surface 1306 and an edge of a side surface1307 of the cover 1304. The device 1300 may also include a rear cover1309, which may correspond to or be an embodiment of the rear cover 132(or any other rear cover described herein).

The cover 1304 may be positioned over a display stack 1308, which maycorrespond to or be an embodiment of the display 103 of FIG. 1A (or anyother display described herein). The display stack 1308 may be coupledto the cover 1304 along an interior surface of the cover 1304 via anadhesive 1310, which may be a transparent adhesive. The adhesive 1310may have a thickness, such as about 100 microns, 200 microns, about 300microns, about 400 microns, or the like.

The display stack 1308 may include a display element 1312, which may beconfigured to produce graphical outputs. The display element 1312 may bean OLED display, and may include multiple layers and/or other componentsthat facilitate the production of graphical outputs, including, forexample, substrates, an anode, a cathode, one or more organic layers, anemissive layer, adhesives, and the like. In some cases, the displayelement 1312 may include an integrated (on-cell) touch-sensing system,as described above. For example, an array of electrodes that areintegrated into the OLED display may be time and/or frequencymultiplexed in order to provide both display and touch-sensingfunctionality. In other cases, separate touch- and/or force-sensingsystems may be included above or below the display element 1312 (each ofwhich may include, for example, capacitive electrode layers, compliantlayers, and the like). While an OLED display is described, the displayelement may be any suitable type of display, such as an LCD display, anactive layer organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, an organicelectroluminescent (EL) display, an electrophoretic ink display, or thelike.

The display stack 1308 may include various electrically active layersand components that need to be electrically interconnected to otherelectrical components, processors, circuit elements, and the like.Because such layers (e.g., anode and cathode layers of an OLED display)may be sandwiched between other layers of the display stack 1308, aflexible circuit element 1322 (e.g., a flexible circuit board) may wraparound a side of the display stack 1308 (forming a loop) to electricallycouple the electrically active layers of the display stack 1308 to amore accessible circuit element 1320 of the display stack 1308. Moreparticularly, the flexible circuit element 1322 may include conductivetraces that interconnect electrical components within the displayelement 1312 (e.g., cathode and anode layers, electrode layers of touchand/or force sensors, on-cell touch-sensing layers, etc.) to otherelectrical traces, connectors, processors, or other electricalcomponents that are mounted on the circuit element 1320. The circuitelement 1320 may be a rigid or flexible circuit board. In some cases, afirst encapsulating structure (e.g., an epoxy, foam, or other materialor component) may be provided in the loop area 1316 between the side ofthe display stack 1308 and the flexible circuit element 1322 to helpprovide structure to the flexible circuit element 1322 and to helpprevent deformation of the flexible circuit element 1322 due to impactsor other damage. For example, a first encapsulating structure 1317 (alsoreferred to as a potting material) may be provided in the inside of theloop area 1316 to help provide structure to the flexible circuit element1322 at the loop area 1316 and to help prevent deformation of theflexible circuit element 1322 due to drops, impacts, or the like. Forexample, if the device 1300 is dropped on the housing member 1302, thehousing member 1302 could force a frame member 1324 against the looparea 1316 of the flexible circuit element 1322. The first encapsulatingstructure 1317 may help prevent such impacts from breaking, pinching,bending, deforming, or otherwise damaging the flexible circuit element1322 at the loop area 1316.

In some cases, in addition to or instead of providing the firstencapsulating structure 1317 in the loop area 1316, a secondencapsulating structure 1340 may be provided in a region 1357 betweenthe frame member 1324 and a loop 1335 of the flexible circuit element1322. The loop 1335 may define a convex outer surface and a concaveinner surface, as shown in FIG. 13A. The second encapsulating structure1340 may be an epoxy, foam, or other material or component, and may beunitary with the first encapsulating structure 1317 (e.g., they may bothbe formed during a single injection process of a single curablematerial), or it may be distinct from the first encapsulating structure1317 (e.g., the first and second encapsulating structures may beintroduced separately, such as in two subsequent injection operations).

The second encapsulating structure 1340 may provide several benefits.For example, the second encapsulating structure 1340 may reinforce theloop 1335 of the flexible circuit element 1322. More particularly, thesecond encapsulating structure 1340 may reduce the likelihood that theflexible circuit element 1322 will be deformed or otherwise damaged dueto an impact or other type of shock event. The second encapsulatingstructure 1340 may also improve the strength of the bond between thecover 1304, the display stack 1308, and the frame member 1324. Forexample, the second encapsulating structure 1340 may have an adhesiveproperty such that the second encapsulating structure 1340 adheres tothe flexible circuit element 1322, the cover 1304, and the frame member1324, thereby bonding these components together via an adhesive bond.The physical shapes of the frame member 1324 and the loop 1335 of theflexible circuit element 1322 may also provide a mechanical interlockthat retains the frame member 1324 and the display stack 1308 to thecover 1304. For example, the frame member 1324 defines a flange portion1329 which forms an undercut region that the second encapsulatingstructure 1340 fills and/or engages. Similarly, the second encapsulatingstructure 1340 wraps under the loop 1335 to engage the flexible circuitelement, and the display stack 1308 more generally. Due to the way inwhich the second encapsulating structure 1340 engages these components,the adhesion between the second encapsulating structure 1340 and thecover 1304 helps retain the frame member 1324 and display stack 1308 tothe cover 1304.

In some cases, the additional attachment security provided by the secondencapsulating structure 1340 may facilitate the use of less adhesive1326 to attach the frame member 1324 to the cover 1304, and therebyallow a thinner adhesive layer 1310, which ultimately reduces theoverall thickness of the display stack and can provide more room insidethe device for other components (e.g., a battery), and/or allow thedevice to be made thinner. More particularly, the increased attachmentstrength provided by the second encapsulating structure 1340 mayfacilitate the use of a smaller glue region for the adhesive 1326, andthus the flange portion 1329 can extend a smaller distance towards thedisplay (e.g., it is shorter in a left-to-right direction, as shown inFIG. 13A). By making the flange portion 1329 smaller in this direction,the display stack can be placed closer to the cover 1304 without theloop 1335 contacting or being too close to the flange portion 1329,thereby allowing a thinner layer of adhesive 1310 between the displayelement 1312 and the cover 1304.

The encapsulating structures may also provide an environmental seal thatsupplements the seal provided by the adhesive 1326. For example, if animpact or other damage were to compromise the adhesion between theadhesive 1326 and the cover 1304 and/or the frame member 1324, the firstand second encapsulating structures may continue to inhibit or preventliquids or other contaminants from reaching and damaging the displaystack or other sensitive components of the device.

The display stack 1308 may include other components in addition to thedisplay element 1312 and touch- and/or force-sensing components, such assupport and shielding layers, and adhesive layers to hold the variouscomponents of the display stack 1308 together. For example, the displaystack 1308 may include a first metal plate 1314 that supports thedisplay element 1312 and imparts structural support, rigidity, andflatness to the display element 1312. The first metal plate 1314 mayhave the same or substantially the same front-facing area as the displayelement 1312 (e.g., the first metal plate 1314 may have a front-facingarea that is greater than 90% of the display element 1312). The displaystack may also include a second metal plate 1318 that supports thecircuit element 1320. The second metal plate 1318 may have a smallerfrontal area than the first metal plate 1314, and may have a size thatis similar to the circuit element 1320. Both the circuit element 1320and the second metal plate 1318 may have a front-facing area that isless than 50% of the front-facing area of the display element 1312, andoptionally less than 30% of the front-facing area of the display element1312.

The display stack 1308 may include other layers and components, as well.For example, the display stack 1308 may include adhesives betweenvarious layers and elements in the display stack 1308. Morespecifically, the display stack 1308 may include an adhesive between thedisplay element 1312 and the first metal plate 1314, an adhesive betweenthe first metal plate 1314 and the second metal plate 1318, and anadhesive between the second metal plate 1318 and the circuit element1320. Of course, other layers, sheets, substrates, adhesives, and/orother components may also be included in the display stack 1308.

The cover 1304 may be attached to a frame member 1324. The frame member1324 may be formed from or include a polymer material, and may extendaround all or substantially all of a perimeter of the cover 1304. Theframe member 1324 may at least partially encapsulate and/or otherwise becoupled to a back plate 1328. The back plate 1328 may be formed of orinclude metal, plastic, or any other suitable material. The back plate1328 may provide shielding and structural support to the device, and mayprotect the display stack 1308 by forming an at least partially enclosedarea in which the display stack 1308 is positioned. The back plate 1328may be at least partially encapsulated in the frame member 1324, or itmay be attached to the frame member 1324 in any other suitable manner.

The frame member 1324 may be attached to the housing member 1302. Forexample, the frame member 1324 may be attached to a ledge 1323 or otherfeature defined by the housing member, as depicted in FIG. 13A. Theledge 1323 may extend from an interior side of the housing member 1302.The ledge 1323 may be part of a monolithic structure of the housingmember 1302 (e.g., the housing member may be molded, machined, orotherwise formed from a single piece of material to define the ledge1323 as well as the other features and/or surfaces of the housing member1302). The frame member 1324 may be attached to the housing member 1302via an adhesive 1325, which may be between and in contact with the ledge1323 and the frame member 1324. The adhesive 1325 may be any suitableadhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), heat sensitiveadhesive (HSA), adhesive film, epoxy, or the like. In some cases, theledge or other feature to which the frame member 1324 is attached actsas a datum surface for the frame member 1324. Thus, the alignment (e.g.,flushness) of the front exterior surface 1306 of the cover 1304 and theupper portion 1332 (e.g., the front exterior surface) of the housingmember 1302 may be defined or established by the location of the ledge(relative to the upper portion 1332), as well as the location of thebottom surface of the frame member 1324 (relative to the front exteriorsurface 1306 of the cover 1304).

The cover 1304 may be attached to the frame member 1324 via an adhesive1326. The frame member 1324 may define a recessed region 1327 (whichdefines a bonding surface), and the adhesive 1326 may be placed in therecessed region 1327. The recessed region 1327 may provide a trough-likevolume for the adhesive 1326, while also allowing a flange portion 1329of the frame member 1324 to contact the underside of the cover 1304. Thedirect contact between the flange portion 1329 of the frame member 1324and the cover 1304 may provide a rigid connection between the cover 1304and the frame member 1324 and may ensure that forces applied to thecover 1304 are transferred to the structural frame member 1324. Whilethe recessed region 1327 is defined by a single flange portion 1329(e.g., on the right side of the recessed region 1327), otherconfigurations are also possible, such as a recessed region defined bytwo flange portions or other sidewall-like features (e.g., a channeldefined by two walls).

The housing member 1302 may be specifically configured to allow a closecoupling between it and the assembly that includes the cover 1304, thedisplay stack 1308, and the frame member 1324. In particular, thehousing member 1302 may define a recessed region 1330 (also referred tosimply as a recess) along an interior surface of the housing member 1302that is adjacent or proximate the frame member 1324. The recessed region1330 may be formed into the housing member 1302 in any suitable way. Forexample, the recessed region 1330 may be machined into the housingmember 1302, or the housing member 1302 may be molded or cast and therecessed region 1330 may be formed as part of the casting or moldingprocess.

The recessed region 1330 may correspond to a portion of the housingmember 1302 that is thinner than other portions of the housing member1302. For example, the housing member 1302 may define an upper portion1332 and a lower portion 1334 that have a greater thickness (in theleft-to-right direction as depicted in FIG. 13A) than the portion of thehousing member 1302 that defines the recessed region 1330.

The recessed region 1330 may be configured so that the interior surfaceof the housing member 1302 that is directly opposite the frame member1324 is set apart from the frame member 1324 by a target distance. Thetarget distance may be selected so that deformations or deflections ofthe housing member 1302 along the side wall (e.g., due to the device1300 being dropped or otherwise subjected to predictable misuse ordamage) do not contact the frame member 1324 and/or the display stack1308. More particularly, the recessed region 1330 allows the device 1300to accommodate a certain amount of deformation of the side wall of thehousing member 1302 without the housing member 1302 contacting the framemember 1324. For example, the inner surface of the recessed region 1330may be spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface 1331 of the framemember 1324 by about 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1.0 mm, or any othersuitable distance. In some cases, the distance between the inner surfaceof the recessed region 1330 and the outer surface of the frame member1324 is greater than a housing deformation that is produced as a resultof a standard test, such as a side impact test (e.g., in which thedevice 1300 is dropped from a certain height (e.g., 1 m, 2 m, or 3 m)onto a certain surface (e.g., an edge of a triangular prism).

In some cases, the height (e.g., the vertical direction as depicted inFIG. 13A) of the recessed region 1330 (and optionally the height of therecessed region 1330 and the additional recessed region 1336 combined)is equal to or greater than a height of the frame member 1324. In thisway, the recessed region 1330 (optionally with the additional recessedregion 1336) is large enough so that the frame member 1324 could extendat least partially into the recessed region 1330 in the event of animpact or drop (e.g., causing the housing member 1302 to deform ordeflect), without the frame member 1324 contacting the housing member1302. This may help prevent damage to the frame-cover interface and helpprevent separation of the cover 1304 from the frame member 1324 (e.g.,by preventing or reducing the magnitude of forces applied to the framemember 1324 by the housing member 1302 in the event of an impact, drop,or the like). In some cases, the height of the recessed region 1330 (andoptionally the recessed region 1330 combined with the additionalrecessed region 1336) extends from the ledge 1323 to a height orlocation that is at or above the bottom surface of the cover 1304.

In some cases, the distance between the inner surface of the recessedregion 1330 and the outer surface of the frame member 1324 is greaterthan a distance between a side surface 1307 of the cover 1304 and aninner side surface 1333. Thus, for example, a deformation or deflectionof the housing member 1302 towards the cover 1304 and the frame member1324 may result in the side surface 1307 of the cover 1304 contactingthe inner side surface 1333 of the frame member 1324 before the housingmember 1302 (and in particular the inner surface of the recessed region1330) contacts the frame member 1324. Thus, by forming a recessed region1330 that establishes a greater distance between the housing member 1302and the frame member 1324 than the distance between the housing member1302 and the cover 1304, the risk of contact between the housing member1302 and the frame member 1324 during deformation or deflection of thehousing member 1302 may be reduced.

The side surface 1307 of the cover 1304 may abut an inner side surface1333 of the housing member 1302 (or be adjacent the inner side surface1333 without interstitial components, as described herein). In somecases, there is no interstitial component or other material between theside surface 1307 of the cover 1304 and the inner side surface 1333 ofthe housing member 1302. This construction provides several structuraland cosmetic advantages. For example, the lack of a bezel or otherinterstitial component or material between these surfaces provides aclean, frameless appearance to the front of the device 1300. Inparticular, the front-facing surfaces of the device 1300 may be definedonly by the upper portion 1332 of the housing member 1302 and the frontexterior surface 1306 of the cover 1304. While the side surface 1307 ofthe cover 1304 may abut an inner side surface 1333 of the housing member1302, in some cases an air gap may exist between these surfaces. In somecases, an adhesive or sealing material may be positioned between theside surface 1307 of the cover 1304 and the inner side surface 1333 ofthe housing member 1302. In such cases, the adhesive or sealing materialmay be the only material between these surfaces, may be in contact withboth surfaces, and may have a thickness less than about 0.5 mm, 0.3 mm,0.1 mm, 0.05 mm, or any other suitable thickness.

The proximity between the side surface 1307 of the cover 1304 and theinner side surface 1333 of the housing member 1302 may define a loadpath through the upper portion 1332 of the housing member 1302 and intothe cover 1304. For example, forces applied to the exterior side surface1303 of the housing member 1302 may be directed into the cover 1304 atthe interface between the side surface 1307 of the cover 1304 and theinner side surface 1333 of the housing member 1302. (In cases where theinner side surface 1333 abuts the side surface 1307 of the cover 1304,loads may be directly transferred or directed into the cover 1304, whilein cases where there is an air gap between the inner side surface 1333and the side surface 1307 of the cover 1304, the forces may initiallycause the gap to close such that the inner side surface 1333 comes intocontact with the side surface 1307.) The rigidity and structuralintegrity of the cover 1304 may help prevent or reduce deformation ofthe housing member 1302 in the event of a drop or other impact on theexterior side surface 1303, thereby protecting internal components ofthe device 1300 from damage due to the housing member 1302 contactingthem. By defining the load path through the cover 1304 and byconfiguring the housing member 1302 to include the recessed region 1330,the device 1300 may be designed to omit the frame member 1324 from theload path during many impact events (e.g., the device 1300 beingdropped). For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the recessed region 1330ensures that the frame member 1324 is set apart from the housing member1302 by a suitable distance. Also, no portion of the frame member 1324is between the housing member 1302 and the cover 1304. Accordingly, theframe member 1324 may be positioned so that it is not contacted orimpacted by the housing member 1302, even if the housing member 1302 issubjected to an impact, deformed, deflected, or otherwise damaged (up toa certain amount of deformation or deflection).

In some cases, the rear cover 1309 interfaces with the lower portion1334 of the housing member 1302, in that the lower portion 1334 maycontact a side surface of the rear cover 1309, thereby defining a loadpath through the lower portion 1334 and into the rear cover 1309.

In some cases, the housing member 1302 may include an additionalrecessed region 1336. The additional recessed region 1336 may beconfigured so that the housing member 1302 in that region is set adistance away from components in the display stack 1308, touch- and/orforce-sensing components, antennas, or other electrical components ofthe device 1300. In particular, as the housing member 1302 may be formedof metal, the metal may capacitively couple to other electroniccomponents. By increasing the distance between the metal of the housingmember 1302 and the electrical components, the capacitive coupling maybe reduced to an acceptable level. Accordingly, the additional recessedregion 1336 may be configured so that the distance between theadditional recessed region 1336 and another electrical component isgreater than about 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, or any other suitabledistance. In some cases, the recessed region 1330 may be recessedfurther (and thus correspond to a thinner portion of the housing member1302) than the additional recessed region 1336.

FIG. 13B depicts another example embodiment of the device 1300, showinganother configuration for the second encapsulating structure. FIG. 13Bomits the housing member 1302 and rear cover 1309 for simplicity. Asshown in FIG. 13B, the second encapsulating structure 1358 does not fillthe entire region 1357. Rather, the second encapsulating structure 1358is positioned in a corner region where the flange portion 1329 of theframe member 1324 meets the cover 1304. The second encapsulatingstructure 1358 thus contacts and adheres to both the frame member 1324and the cover 1304, thereby contributing to the bond strength betweenthose components. This implementation also provides an air gap betweenthe loop 1335 and the frame member 1324.

FIG. 13C depicts another example embodiment of the device 1300, showinganother configuration for the second encapsulating structure. FIG. 13Comits the housing member 1302 and rear cover 1309 for simplicity. Asshown in FIG. 13C, the second encapsulating structure 1343 extendsaround a portion of the loop 1335, and compliant member 1342 ispositioned between the flexible circuit element 1322 (or other componentof the display stack 1308) and the back plate 1328. The compliant member1342 may be less rigid (e.g., more flexible and/or compressible) thanthe second encapsulating structure 1343. The compliant member 1342 mayabsorb energy from impacts, pinches, or other force events that may tendto force the flexible circuit element 1322 and the back plate 1328together, thereby reducing the amount or intensity of the force thatultimately contacts the flexible circuit element 1322. The compliantmember 1342 may be a compliant polymer, foam, elastomer, silicone, orany other suitable material. In some cases, the compliant member 1342 isadhesive and adheres to the flexible circuit element 1322 and/or theback plate 1328. In some cases, the compliant member 1342 is adhered tothe flexible circuit element 1322 and/or the back plate 1328 with aseparate adhesive (e.g., a PSA, HSA, an adhesive film, a liquidadhesive, etc.).

FIG. 13D depicts a portion of the electronic device shown in FIGS.13A-13C, illustrating another view of the location of the encapsulatingstructures, and how potting material may be introduced into the areaaround the loop 1335 of the flexible circuit element 1322 to formencapsulating structures. FIG. 13D generally illustrates the framemember 1324 and the back plate 1328, with the cover 1304 and displaystack 1308 removed. The dashed line illustrates an example location ofthe loop 1335 of the display if the display stack 1308 and cover 1304were attached. Further, while FIG. 13D shows the cover and displayremoved, in some implementations the potting material is introduced withthose components attached to the frame member 1324.

In some cases, potting material 1360 (which may correspond to or producethe first encapsulating structure and/or the second encapsulatingstructure described with respect to FIGS. 13A-13C) may be introducedinto the region 1357 via an injection port 1362. The potting materialmay be understood as being introduced into the injection port 1362 in adirection out of the page, by an injection device that is behind theframe member 1324. Stated differently, the frame member 1324 as shown inFIG. 13D would be flipped over during the injection process.

The potting material 1360 may be a curable polymer, such as an epoxy,that can be introduced as a liquid or other flowable state, and thenallowed to cure. A vent port 1361 may allow air to escape from theregion 1357 (FIG. 13A) while the potting material is being introduced.In some cases, a vacuum or negative pressure is applied to the vent port1361 to aid the flow of the potting material 1360 into the desiredlocations. As the loop 1335 of the flexible circuit element 1322 may beopen on its ends, the potting material may flow into the loop area 1316(FIG. 13A) while the potting material 1360 is introduced through theinjection port 1362.

Barrier structures 1363, 1364, 1365, 1366, and 1367 may define walls ofthe volume in which the potting material 1360 is positioned. The barrierstructures may be positioned between (and may contact and/or besandwiched by) the display stack and a back plate 1328, or the cover1304 and the back plate 1328, or any other suitable components orstructures. The barrier structures may include adhesives, foams, glues,structural portions of the frame member, or the like, and may have otherfunctionalities in addition to acting as barriers to the pottingmaterial 1360. For example, the barrier structure 1363 may correspond tothe frame member 1324 and adhesive 1326, and the barrier structures 1364and 1356 may correspond to an adhesive structure (e.g., an adhesivefoam) that is used to couple the frame member 1324 and/or back plate1328 to the cover and/or display stack. The barrier structures 1366 and1367 may correspond to an adhesive that bridges gaps between the barrierstructures 1364 and 1365 and/or between other components of the device.

In some implementations, barrier structures, such as the barrierstructures 1363 and 1364 define channel segments extending along cornerregions 1347 of the frame member 1324. During an injection process, thepotting material 1360 may travel, within the channel segments, along thecorner regions 1347, and extending at least partially along a side ofthe frame member 1324 (e.g., along the long sides of the device and/ordisplay). In some cases, a portion of either the barrier structure 1363and/or 1364 (or a different component or material) may define anoptional barrier 1371 that blocks the channel segment or otherwisedefines a blind end of the channel segment, thereby limiting the flowpath of the potting material 1360 during its introduction, ultimatelyassisting in defining the shape of the structure that is produced whenthe potting material 1360 hardens or cures.

FIGS. 13A-C illustrate example device configurations that include aframe member 1324 that is attached to a cover (and optionally coupled toa back plate 1328), and which is attached to a housing member (e.g., viaan adhesive 1325) to secure the top module to the housing and/or othercomponent(s) of the device. The frame member 1324 may be formed of orinclude plastic, metal, and/or other materials, and may be formedseparately from the other components of the top module (e.g., the cover,the display stack, etc.), and then assembled with those components toform the top module. FIG. 13E illustrates an example embodiment of thedevice 1300 in which a molded frame member 1370 is used instead of theframe member 1324. More particularly, the molded frame member 1370 maybe formed, after the display stack 1308 is attached to the cover 1304,by molding a moldable material in place, and allowing the material tocure or otherwise harden to define the molded frame member 1370. Forexample, the display stack 1308 may be attached to the cover 1304 toform a subassembly. That subassembly may then be placed in a mold thatdefines at least part of the shape of the molded frame member 1370, anda moldable material (e.g. a polymer, reinforced polymer, thermoplasticpolymer, thermoset polymer, epoxy, or the like) may be introduced intothe mold. The material flows against the cover 1304 and the displaystack 1308 (including against and around the loop 1335), and may adhereor bond to those components via mechanical or chemical bonds (or both).The material is allowed to cure or otherwise harden to form the moldedframe member 1370, and the subassembly with the molded frame member 1370is removed from the mold. Optionally, a back plate is incorporated intothe mold as well, and is at least partially encapsulated in the moldedframe member 1370. The top module may then be attached to the housingmember 1302 by affixing the molded frame member 1370 to the housingmember 1302 with adhesive 1325 (or via any other attachment technique).

FIG. 13E also illustrates the loop area 1316 having been filled with apotting material 1317. In some cases, the potting material 1317 is partof the molded frame member 1370. For example, when the moldable materialfor the molded frame member 1370 is introduced into a mold, the materialmay also flow into the loop area 1316, thereby defining a unitary(monolithic) structure that acts as the molded frame member and thepotting in the loop area 1316. In some cases, the potting material 1317is a separate material than that of the molded frame member 1370, and isintroduced into the loop area 1316 separately from the material thatforms the molded frame member 1370 (e.g., before or after the moldedframe member 1370 is molded in place).

The molded frame member 1370 can provide numerous advantages andbenefits by combining the functions of a frame member and a pottingmaterial into a single component that can be manufactured in a singleoperation. For example, the molded frame member 1370 can perform thestructural functions of a separate frame member, including providingstructural rigidity to the top module and providing a structuralattachment member to secure the cover 1304 to the housing member 1302(or any other suitable structural component of the device. Further, themolded frame member 1370 can self-adhere to the cover 1304 during themolding operation, thereby reducing assembly operations and time ascompared to separately manufacturing a frame member that then has to beattached to the cover 1304. Additionally, the molded frame member 1370can perform the same stabilizing function to the loop 1335 as thepotting material 1340 (FIG. 13A) or 1343 (FIG. 13C), without requiringan additional potting operation (as is the case with potting materialsintroduced after a frame member is formed and attached).

While FIG. 13E shows only a portion of the molded frame member 1370 thatis positioned proximate the loop 1335 of the display, the molded framemember 1370 may extend around the entire periphery of the top module,effectively defining a frame along all four sides of the interiorsurface of the cover 1304, and optionally at least partiallyencapsulating the display stack along multiple sides of the displaystack. In some cases, the molded frame member 1370 extends around lessthan the entire periphery of the top module.

Other components, features, or other details of the device 1300 shown inFIG. 13E are the same as or similar to those shown and described withrespect to FIGS. 13A-13C, and those descriptions apply equally to thosecomponents, features, or other details shown in FIG. 13E.

FIG. 13F illustrates another example configuration of a device that mayenable the use of a thinner adhesive to attach a display stack to acover. For example, FIG. 13F illustrates a partial cross-sectional viewof a device with a cover 1378 with a thinned outer region 1380. Exceptfor the thinned outer region 1380, the cover 1378 may be the same as orsimilar to the cover 1304, and for brevity those details are notrepeated here. The cover 1378 may be attached to a frame member 1374 viaan adhesive 1376 that is positioned in a recessed region 1375 (whichdefines a bonding surface) of the frame member 1374. The frame member1374, adhesive 1376, and recessed region 1375 may be the same as orsimilar to the frame member 1324, adhesive 1326, and recessed region1327, and for brevity those details are not repeated here.

The thinned outer region 1380 may extend along one or more edges of thecover 1378. For example, the thinned outer region 1380 may extend alongone edge of the cover 1378, and in particular, an edge of the cover 1378that is proximate a flexible circuit element 1373 of the display stack1382. In some cases, the thinned outer region 1380 may extend along two,three, or four sides of the cover 1378. For example, in the case of asubstantially rectangular cover, the thinned outer region 1380 mayextend around the entire outer periphery of the cover 1378 (e.g., thethinned outer region 1380 may extend around a display region of thecover 1378, where the display region corresponds to a central region ofthe cover 1378 through which the display is visible and/or producesgraphical outputs). The display stack 1382 and the flexible circuitelement 1373 may be the same as or similar to the display stack 1308 andthe flexible circuit element 1322, and for brevity those details are notrepeated here.

The thinned outer region 1380 may facilitate the use of a thinner layerof adhesive 1383 (e.g., optically clear or transparent adhesive) toattach the display stack 1382 to the cover 1378. More particularly, thethinned outer region 1380 may allow a flange portion 1379 (similar tothe flange portion 1329, FIG. 13A) to be positioned further towards theexterior surface of the cover 1378 (e.g., higher in a verticaldirection, as depicted in FIG. 13F), such that the display stack 1382,and thus the flexible circuit element 1373, may likewise be positionedfurther towards the exterior surface of the cover 1378 without causingthe flexible circuit element 1373 to contact or otherwise interfere withthe flange portion 1379. Accordingly, the thickness of the adhesive 1383may be made thinner (e.g., relative to the adhesive 1310), resulting inan overall height of the display stack 1382 and cover 1378 that is lessthan a height of a device that does not include a cover with a thinnedouter region (e.g., the overall height may be less than the overallheight 1359 in FIG. 13A). In some cases, the adhesive 1383 has athickness of about 150 microns, about 125 microns, about 100 microns, orabout 75 microns.

The thinned outer region 1380 of the cover 1378 may have a thickness1381 of about 400 microns, and the main portion of the cover 1378 (e.g.,the portion to which the display stack 1382 is attached and thatincludes the graphically active area of the device) may have a thicknessof about 600 microns. In some cases, the thinned outer region 1380 isabout 100 microns, about 200 microns, or about 300 microns thinner thanthe main portion of the cover 1378. The thickness 1381 may be betweenabout 375 microns to about 425 microns, and the thickness of the mainportion may be between about 575 microns to about 625 microns.

The cover 1378 may define a transition region that extends from thethinned outer region 1380 to the main portion of the cover 1378. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 13F, the transition region defines a curvedportion of the bottom surface of the cover 1378 that extends from thethinned outer region 1380 to the main portion of the cover 1378. Thetransition region (e.g., the surface of the transition region) may havea continuous curve (as shown), or it may have another shape orconfiguration. For example, the transition surface may be fully orpartially planar, and may resemble a chamfered surface. FIGS. 13G-13Lillustrate other example shapes for a thinned outer region of a cover.

FIGS. 13G-13L illustrate example configurations of a thinned outerregion for a cover. For example, FIG. 13G illustrates a cover with athinned outer region 1380-G, similar to the thinned outer region shownin FIG. 13F. In this example, the thinned outer region 1380-G includesor is defined by a flat region 1384-G at the outer portion of thethinned outer region 1380-G, and a curved region 1385-G that extendsfrom the flat region 1384-G to a corner or edge 1386-G. The corner oredge 1386-G may represent an edge where the main portion 1389-G of thecover (e.g., the planar surface to which a display stack is attached)meets the curved region, and may appear as a discontinuity or distinctapex. The curved region 1385-G may define a concave surface shape, whilethe corner or edge 1386-G may define a pointed convex feature. In caseswhere a cover that includes the thinned outer region 1380-G is attachedto a frame member, as shown in FIG. 13F, adhesive may be positioned onthe flat region 1384-G alone, the curved region 1385-G alone, or on atleast a portion of both the flat and curved regions. Further, a framemember (or other component) may contact the cover on the flat region1384-G and/or the curved region 1385-G.

FIG. 13H illustrates a cover with a thinned outer region 1380-H. In thisexample, the thinned outer region 1380-H includes or is defined by aflat region 1384-H at the outer portion of the thinned outer region1380-H, and a first curved region 1385-H that extends from the flatregion 1384-H to a second curved region 1386-H. In contrast to thecorner 1386-G, which may appear as a sharp to distinct apex or edge, thesecond curved region 1386-H defines a curved profile. The first curvedregion 1385-H may define a curved concave surface shape, and the secondcurved 1386-H may define a curved convex surface shape. In some cases,the absolute values of the radii of curvature of the first and secondcurved regions are the same, while in other cases they are differentfrom one another. The two curved regions defining the transition betweenthe main portion 1389-H and the thinned outer region of a cover may helpeliminate sharp features (or other features) that can act as stressconcentrating features, thereby increasing providing a strong cover thatresists breaking or other damage. In cases where a cover that includesthe thinned outer region 1380-H is attached to a frame member, as shownin FIG. 13F, adhesive may be positioned on the surface(s) of the flatregion 1384-H, and/or either (or both) of the curved regions 1385-H,1386-H. Further, a frame member (or other component) may contact thecover on the surface(s) of the flat region 1384-H and/or either (orboth) of the curved regions 1385-H, 1386-H.

FIG. 13I illustrates a cover with a thinned outer region 1380-I. In thisexample, the thinned outer region 1380-I includes or is defined by aflat region 1384-I at the outer portion of the thinned outer region1380-I, and a step region 1385-I defining a discontinuous transitionfrom the thinned outer region 1380-I to the main portion 1389-I of thecover. The step region 1385-I may define two substantially 90 degreecorners, thus resulting in a step surface that is substantiallyperpendicular to the surface of the flat region 1384-I and the mainportion 1389-I of the cover (as well as to an exterior surface of thecover), as shown in FIG. 13I. In other examples, the corners, and thusthe step surface, may have different angles. For example, a cornerbetween the flat region 1384-I and the step surface may be about 80degrees, and the corner between the step surface and the main portion1389-I of the cover may be about 100 degrees, resulting in a stepsurface that is about 80 degrees relative to the flat region 1384-I (andthe exterior surface of the cover). In cases where a cover that includesthe thinned outer region 1380-I is attached to a frame member, as shownin FIG. 13F, adhesive may be positioned on the surface(s) of the flatregion 1384-I, and/or the step surface of the step region 1385-I.Further, a frame member (or other component) may contact the cover onthe surface(s) of the flat region 1384-I, and/or the step surface of thestep region 1385-I.

FIG. 13J illustrates a cover with a thinned outer region 1380-J. In thisexample, the thinned outer region 1380-J includes or is defined by acurved transition region 1387-J extending from the main portion 1389-Jof the cover to the outer peripheral edge of the thinned outer region1380-J. The curved transition region 1387-J may define a continuousconcave curved profile, which may meet the main portion 1389-J of thecover at a corner or edge 1319-J. More particularly, the corner or edge1319-J may represent an edge where the main portion 1389-J of the cover(e.g., the planar surface to which a display stack is attached) meetsthe curved transition region 1387-J, and may appear as a discontinuityor distinct apex. The curved transition region 1387-J may have aconstant radius of curvature (e.g., it defines a portion of a circle),or a variable radius of curvature (e.g., it may define a non-circularspline). In cases where a cover that includes the thinned outer region1380-J is attached to a frame member, as shown in FIG. 13F, adhesive maybe positioned on the surface(s) of the curved transition region 1387-J.Further, a frame member (or other component) may contact the cover onthe surface(s) of the curved transition region 1387-J.

FIG. 13K illustrates a cover with a thinned outer region 1380-K. In thisexample, the thinned outer region 1380-K includes or is defined by aflat transition region 1387-K extending from the main portion 1389-K ofthe cover to the outer peripheral edge of the thinned outer region1380-K. The flat transition region 1387-K may define a substantiallyplanar surface, which may meet the main portion 1389-K of the cover at acorner or edge 1319-K. More particularly, the corner or edge 1319-K mayrepresent an edge where the main portion 1389-K of the cover (e.g., theplanar surface to which a display stack is attached) meets the flattransition region 1387-K, and may appear as a discontinuity or distinctapex. In cases where a cover that includes the thinned outer region1380-K is attached to a frame member, as shown in FIG. 13F, adhesive maybe positioned on the surface(s) of the flat transition region 1387-K.Further, a frame member (or other component) may contact the cover onthe surface(s) of the flat transition region 1387-K.

FIG. 13L illustrates a cover with a thinned outer region 1380-L, wherethe thinned outer region is inset from the outer peripheral edge of thecover. More particularly, the thinned outer region 1380-L includes or isdefined by a recess 1390 formed between a main portion 1389-L of thecover, and a peripheral ridge 1388. The thickness of the cover at themain portion 1389-L and at the peripheral ridge 1388 (e.g., thethickness corresponding to the thickest dimension in these locations)may be equal, or they may be different. In cases where a cover thatincludes the thinned outer region 1380-L is attached to a frame member,as shown in FIG. 13F, adhesive may be positioned on the surface(s) ofthe peripheral ridge 1388 and/or the recess 1390. Further, a framemember (or other component) may contact the cover on the surface(s) ofthe peripheral ridge 1388 and/or the recess 1390.

As noted above, the reduced thickness regions of the covers shown inFIGS. 13F-13L may allow a display stack to be positioned closer to theinterior surface of a cover, such as by allowing the use of thinneradhesives or other layers between the display stack and the cover. Insome cases, the particular thicknesses of the thinned region and themain region of a cover may depend at least in part on a target thicknessfor an adhesive layer between the display stack and the cover, or otherdimensions and/or other shapes or configurations of the display stack.In each of the covers shown in FIGS. 13F-13L, the thickness 1399 of thethinned outer region may be about 400 microns, and the thickness of themain portion of the cover (e.g., the portion to which the display stackis attached and that includes the graphically active area of the device)may have a thickness of about 600 microns. In some cases, the thickness1399 of the thinned outer region may be about 100 microns, about 200microns, or about 300 microns thinner than the main portion of thecover. The thickness 1399 may be between about 375 microns to about 425microns, and the thickness of the main portion may be between about 575microns to about 625 microns. In some cases, the thickness 1399 may beabout 10%, about 20%, about 30%, about 40%, or about 50% thinner thanthe thickness of the main portion of the cover. The thicknesses 1399 maycorrespond to a thickness dimension of the cover as measured between thethinnest portion of a thinned outer region, as illustrated in FIGS.13G-13L.

The covers shown in FIGS. 13F-13L may be formed in various ways. Forexample, the covers, including the thinned outer regions 1380, may beformed by molding (e.g., heating glass or another transparent materialand applying a mold or press to produce the desired shape), machining(e.g., grinding, lapping, or otherwise removing material from a sheet toform the desired shape), and/or by additive manufacturing (e.g.,adhering, bonding, or otherwise attaching a first glass sheet to asecond glass sheet to form the desired shape). Combinations of theseprocesses may also be used to form the covers and produce the thinnedouter regions.

FIG. 13M illustrates an example cover and frame member configuration inwhich an adhesive 1321 that attaches a display stack 1392 to a bottom orinterior surface of a cover 1304 defines an angled ramp surface 1391that deflects a portion of the display stack 1392 downwards (e.g., awayfrom the front cover) to help prevent or reduce the risk of contactbetween the display stack and the frame member 1324. The angled rampsurface 1391 may be configured to deflect the loop 1337 of the flexiblecircuit element of the display stack, as well as a portion of thelayered region 1339 of the display stack 1392 (optionally including anactive region of the display that is configured to produce graphicaloutputs). The angled ramp surface 1391 may be unitary with the rest ofthe adhesive layer that attaches the display stack 1392 to the cover1304 (e.g., the angled ramp surface 1391 may be a thickened region ofthe adhesive 1321). In some cases, the adhesive 1321 is a liquidoptically clear adhesive (LOCA) that is dispensed on the cover 1304and/or the display stack 1392 to define a substantiallyuniform-thickness portion (e.g., region 1393) that is positioned over anactive area of the display, and the angled ramp surface 1391.

The angled ramp surface 1391 is configured to deflect the loop 1337 anda portion of the layered region 1339 of the display stack 1392 away fromthe cover 1304 (e.g., downward as shown in FIG. 13M). The angled rampsurface 1391 may have a curved or flat surface (e.g., the surface thatcontacts the display stack 1392) and may have a maximum thickness ofbetween about 100 microns and about 200 microns.

FIG. 13N depicts another example configuration for attaching a cover anddisplay stack to the housing member 1302. In the example shown in FIG.13N, a display stack 1396 is attached to an interior surface of a cover1304 via an adhesive 1394 (e.g., an optically clear adhesive). Amounting plate 1397 is attached to the display stack 1396 via adhesive1395 and/or other attachment techniques (e.g., fasteners, brackets,etc.). The mounting plate 1397 is attached to a housing member 1302 tosecure the cover 1304 and display stack 1396 (also referred to as a topmodule) to the housing member 1302. More particularly, the mountingplate 1397 may be attached to a ledge 1323 of the housing member 1302via an adhesive 1398 (e.g., an HSA, TSA, adhesive foam, epoxy, etc.). Insome cases, the attachment between the mounting plate 1397 and the ledge1323 with the adhesive 1398 may be the only attachment between the topmodule and the housing member 1302. In other cases, the top module isfurther secured to the housing member 1302 in other ways as well, suchas with fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, rivets), interlocking features,latching features, brackets, or the like.

The ledge 1323 may be part of a single unitary structure that alsodefines the side wall of the housing member 1302. For example, thehousing member 1302 may be formed of metal, plastic, or the like, andmay define a side wall of the housing as well as the ledge 1323. Inother cases, the ledge 1323 may be a different component that isattached to or otherwise integrated with a portion of the housing member1302 that defines the side wall. For example, the ledge 1323 may be partof a polymer material (e.g., fiber-reinforced polymer) that is moldedagainst a metal housing structure. Other configurations andconstructions for the ledge 1323 are also contemplated.

The configuration shown in FIG. 13N, in which the mounting plate 1397 isused to attach the top module to the housing member 1302, allows the topmodule to be attached to the housing member 1302 without a frame member(e.g., without the frame member 1324 shown in FIGS. 13A-13C, 13F, and13M). The lack of the frame member may provide greater clearance betweenthe display loop and/or other portions of the display stack 1396 andother components of the device (e.g., the housing member 1302).Alternatively, the display loop may be positioned closer to the housingmember 1302, thereby facilitating a larger active area of the displayscreen, a smaller device, or both. Further, by omitting the framemember, the display stack 1396 may be positioned closer to the interiorsurface of the cover 1304, as there is no portion of the frame member(e.g., no flange) that interferes with or otherwise limits the verticalpositioning of the display stack 1396 relative to the cover 1304. Morebroadly, removing the frame member as shown in FIG. 13N may produce amore space-efficient device in the x, y, and/or z directions.

While FIG. 13N shows only a portion of the mounting plate 1397 andhousing member 1302 proximate the loop of the display stack 1396, thesame or similar configuration of the housing 1302 (including the ledge1323), the mounting plate 1397, and the adhesive 1398 may extend aroundthe entire periphery of the top module, effectively defining an adhesivemounting area along all four sides of the device. In some cases, themounting plate 1397 and adhesive 1398 extend around less than the entireperiphery of the top module.

As noted above, devices as described herein may include one or moregroups of antennas that include elements that are configured tocommunicate via a 5G wireless protocol (including millimeter wave and/or6 GHz communication signals). FIG. 14A depicts a portion of anelectronic device 1400, with components removed to better illustrateexample antenna groups for 5G wireless communications. 5G communicationsmay be achieved using various different communications protocols. Forexample, 5G communications may use a communications protocol that uses afrequency band below 6 GHz (also referred to as the sub-6 GHz spectrum).As another example, 5G communications may use a communications protocolthat uses a frequency band above 24 GHz (also referred to as themillimeter-wave spectrum). Further, the particular frequency band of anygiven 5G implementation may differ from others. For example, differentwireless communications providers may use different frequency bands inthe millimeter-wave spectrum (e.g., one provider may implement a 5Gcommunications network using frequencies around 28 GHz, while anothermay use frequencies around 39 GHz). The particular antenna group(s)implemented in a device as described herein may be configured to allowcommunications via one or multiple of the frequency bands that implement5G communications.

The device 1400 in FIG. 14A includes at least two groups of antennas,each configured to operate to provide 5G communications using adifferent communications protocol. For example, the first antenna groupincludes multiple antennas to communicate via the sub-6 GHz spectrum,and the second antenna group includes multiple antennas to communicatevia the millimeter-wave spectrum.

As noted above, the housing members of a device, such as a mobile phone,may be adapted for use as antennas. In the device 1400, for example, thehousing 1450 may include housing members 1401, 1403, 1405, 1407, 1409,and 1411. These housing members may be formed from metal or anotherconductive material, and may be electrically coupled to communicationscircuitry (as described in greater detail herein) in order to causeportions of the housing members to send and/or receive wirelesscommunications. The housing members 1401, 1403, 1405, 1407, 1409, and1411 may be coupled together with joining elements 1416, 1418, 1420,1422, 1424, and 1426 to form the housing members into a singlestructural housing component. For simplicity, the joining elements 1416,1418, 1420, 1422, 1424, and 1426 are shown as being separate components,though some of the joining elements may be contiguous (e.g., the joiningelements 1416 and 1418 may be parts of a contiguous molded polymerstructure).

The joining elements may both mechanically and/or structurally couplethe housing members together, and provide electrical isolation betweenadjacent housing members to facilitate the use of the housing members asradiating antennas. More particularly, with respect to the mechanicalcoupling, a joining element may securely attach to adjacent housingmembers (e.g., via mechanical interlocks between the joining element andthe housing members and/or via adhesive or chemical bonds between thejoining element and the housing members). With respect to the electricalisolation functions, a joining element may provide a requisiteelectrical isolation between an antenna and another conductive component(e.g., another conductive housing member, whether acting as an antennaor a non-radiating structural member) to reduce attenuation of theantenna performance (e.g., due to capacitive coupling between theantenna and the other conductive component). The joining elements may beformed from or include a nonconductive and/or dielectric material, suchas a polymer, fiber-reinforced nylon, epoxy, or the like. Thus, thejoining elements may be referred to herein as nonconductive joiningelements.

The joining elements may be formed by a molding process. For example,the housing members may be placed into a mold or otherwise maintained ina fixed position relative to one another such that gaps are definedbetween adjacent housing members. One or more polymer materials may thenbe injected into the gaps (and optionally into engagement with retentionstructures and/or interlock features defined in the housing members),such that the polymer materials at least partially fill the gaps, andallowed to cure or otherwise harden to form the joining elements. Insome cases, joining elements may be formed from multiple differentmaterials. For example, an inner portion of the joining element may beformed of a first material (e.g., a polymer material), and an outerportion of the joining element (e.g., that defines part of the exteriorsurface of the housing) may be formed of a second material that isdifferent from the first (e.g., a different polymer material). Thematerials may have different properties, which may be selected based onthe different functions of the inner and outer portions of the joiningelements. For example, the inner material may be configured to make themain structural connection between housing members, and may have ahigher mechanical strength and/or toughness than the outer material. Onthe other hand, the outer material may be configured to have aparticular appearance, surface finish, chemical resistance,water-sealing function, or the like, and its composition may be selectedto prioritize those functions over mechanical strength. The joiningelements may be formed from fiber-reinforced polymer, epoxy, or anyother suitable material(s).

In the device 1400, at least three segments of the housing are adaptedfor use as antennas for communicating via the sub-6 GHz spectrum. Moreparticularly, the housing members may be adapted for use as antennas byconductively coupling ground lines and feed lines to particularlocations on the housing members (which are conductive and may be formedof or include metal). The particular location of the ground and feedlines on a housing member may in part define the particular wavelengthsfor which the antennas are tuned.

The device 1400 includes one example configuration of a first group ofantennas for communicating via the sub-6 GHz spectrum. The first groupof antennas includes a first sub-6 GHz antenna 1402, a second sub-6 GHzantenna 1404, a third sub-6 GHz antenna 1406, and a fourth sub-6 GHzantenna 1408. In this example configuration, the first, second, andthird sub-6 GHz antennas 1402, 1404, 1406 are defined by segments ofhousing members, while the fourth sub-6 GHz antenna 1408 is a conductivetrace (e.g., on a circuit board) or other radiating element that ispositioned within the device. The four antennas of the first group ofantennas may be configured to operate according to a 4×4 MIMO (multipleinput, multiple output) scheme.

The antennas that are defined by segments of the housing members may besimilar to one another in structure and function. Accordingly, to avoidredundancy, only the first sub-6 GHz antenna 1402 will be described indetail. However, it will be understood that the description appliesequally to the second sub-6 GHz antenna 1404 and the third sub-6 GHzantenna 1406 as well.

The first sub-6 GHz antenna 1402 may be defined by a portion of thehousing member 1401, and more particularly, a portion of the housingmember 1401 that is proximate the joining element 1416. In order to sendand receive electromagnetic signals from the first sub-6 GHz antenna1402, ground and feed lines may be conductively coupled to the housingmember 1401. For example, a ground line may be conductively coupled tolocation 1412 and a feed line may be conductively coupled to location1410.

The portion of the housing member 1401 that acts as the first sub-6 GHzantenna 1402 may define structural features 1413 and 1414. Thesefeatures may extend from the interior side of the housing member 1401and towards the interior volume of the device 1400. The features 1413,1414 may have several functions, including defining physical mountinglocations for the ground and feed lines, and defining interlock featureswith which the material of the joining elements engage and/orencapsulate to form the structural coupling between the housing members.While the features 1413, 1414 are shown in FIG. 14A without beingencapsulated by or otherwise engaged with the material of the joiningelement 1416, it will be understood that in some cases the material ofthe joining element 1416 contacts, engages, and/or at least partiallyencapsulates the features 1413 and/or the features 1414. Further, whilesuch features are only shown on the housing members 1401 and 1407, theother housing members may include similar features proximate the joiningelements.

As noted above, the second sub-6 GHz antenna 1404 and the third sub-6GHz antenna 1406 may have the same or similar structures as the firstsub-6 GHz antenna 1402. In some cases, first, second, and third sub-6GHz antennas are each configured to communicate via a differentfrequency band. Accordingly, the exact shape, length, or other physicalcharacteristic of each of these antennas may differ from one another.

As noted above, the fourth sub-6 GHz antenna 1408, which is part of thefirst group of antennas that operates according to a 4×4 MIMO scheme, isa conductive trace or other radiating element that is positioned withinthe device. In some cases, however, a portion of the first housingmember 1401 that is proximate the joining element 1426 may be configuredto act as the fourth sub-6 GHz antenna. In such case the first housingmember 1401 may include structural features similar to those of thefirst sub-6 GHz antenna 1402 (e.g., the features 1413, 1414), and groundand feed lines may be similarly coupled to that region of the firsthousing member 1401 to facilitate transmitting and receivingelectromagnetic signals.

While the sub-6 GHz antennas 1402, 1404, 1406, and 1408 may be used tocommunicate via the sub-6 GHz spectrum, the device 1400 may also (orinstead) include antennas for communicating via the millimeter-wavespectrum. The device 1400 may include, for example, a firstmillimeter-wave antenna 1432 and a second millimeter-wave antenna 1434.Millimeter-wave antennas may be more directional and more susceptible toattenuation from occlusion than antennas for other spectra. For example,with respect to attenuation, if a user places his or her hand over amillimeter-wave antenna, communications via that antenna may suffer orbe completely ceased. With respect to directionality, if themillimeter-wave antenna is pointed more than a certain angle away from acell tower, the antenna may cease being able to effectively communicatewith that cell tower. In order to mitigate these effects, the device mayinclude multiple millimeter-wave antennas strategically positioned toenable wireless communications in a number of different positions,locations, orientations, or the like. For example, in the device 1400,the first millimeter-wave antenna 1432 may be configured as a rear-firedantenna (e.g., sending and receiving electromagnetic signals primarilyalong a direction that is perpendicular to the rear surface of thedevice). The second millimeter-wave antenna 1434 may be configured as aside-fired antenna (e.g., sending and receiving electromagnetic signalsprimarily along a direction that is perpendicular to a side surface ofthe device). It will be understood that the directional millimeter-waveantennas need not be oriented directly at another antenna in order tocommunicate, but may tolerate slight misalignments (e.g., +/−15 degrees,+/−30 degrees, or another value).

Returning to FIG. 14A, the first (rear-fired) millimeter-wave antenna1432 may be coupled to a logic board 1436 (which may be an embodiment ofthe logic boards 220, 320, or any other logic board described herein).In some cases, the first millimeter-wave antenna 1432 (which may be ormay include a passive antenna board) is surface mounted directly to thelogic board 1436. The first millimeter-wave antenna 1432 may includeantenna arrays for two different frequencies (e.g., 28 GHz and 39 GHz,though other frequencies are also possible). Each antenna array mayinclude four antenna elements, and each antenna element may have twodifferent polarizations. By including two (or more, such as four)different antenna arrays, rather than using the same antenna elementsfor two different bands, the first millimeter-wave antenna 1432 may havea greater overall bandwidth than an antenna that uses the same antennaelements to communicate over two (or more) frequency bands. The greaterbandwidth of the first millimeter-wave antenna 1432 may allow forgreater tolerances in the positioning of the antenna 1432 in the device1400 while still providing adequate antenna performance. Further, themultiple millimeter-wave antenna arrays of the first millimeter-waveantenna 1432 may be used in a diversity configuration to improvewireless communications functionality and reliability.

The device 1400 may also include antenna circuitry in asystem-in-package (SiP) component 1438. The SiP component 1438, referredto herein as the SiP 1438, may include components such as one or moreprocessors, memory, analog-to-digital converters, filters, amplifiers,power control circuitry, or the like. The SiP 1438 may be coupled to thelogic board 1436, and may be positioned above the first millimeter-waveantenna 1432. The antenna elements in the first millimeter-wave antenna1432 may be conductively coupled to the SiP 1438 so that the SiP 1438can process signals received via the first millimeter-wave antenna 1432and cause the first millimeter-wave antenna 1432 to send signals.

FIG. 14B is a partial cross-sectional view of the device 1400, viewedalong line 14B-14B in FIG. 14A. The cross-sectional view illustratesexample details of the second (side-fired) millimeter-wave antenna 1434of the device 1400. The side-fired antenna 1434 (also referred to as anantenna module) is secured to an interior of the housing 1450 (FIG. 14A)of the device 1400 (e.g., to the housing member 1407), and is configuredto transmit and receive electromagnetic signals through one or moreopenings 1457 in the side wall of the housing member 1409. The openings1457 may extend through the side wall of the housing member 1409 and mayat least partially define an antenna window for the side-fired antenna1434.

The side-fired antenna 1434 includes an antenna array 1466, whichincludes a plurality of directional antenna elements. The antenna array1466 may include antenna elements for two different frequencies (e.g.,28 GHz and 39 GHz, though other frequencies are also possible). Forexample, two antenna elements may be provided for each frequency, andeach antenna element may have two different polarizations. Of course,other configurations of antenna elements are also possible. For example,the antenna array 1466 may include four antenna elements for eachfrequency.

The antenna array 1466 may include or be coupled to antenna circuitry ina SiP component. The SiP component may include components such as one ormore processors, memory, analog-to-digital converters, filters,amplifiers, power control circuitry, or the like. The SiP may beconductively coupled to the logic board 1436 (e.g., via a flexiblecircuit element). The antenna elements in the antenna array 1466 may beconductively coupled to the SiP so that the SiP can process signalsreceived via the antenna array 1466 and cause the antenna array 1466 tosend signals.

The side wall of the housing member 1409 may be configured to functionas a waveguide for guiding electromagnetic signals to and from theantenna array 1466. The waveguide may be defined by a passage or hole1459 through the side wall of the housing member 1409. The passage 1459may be defined in part by walls that extend from an exterior sidesurface of the side wall of the housing member 1409 to an interiorsurface of the housing member 1409. As shown, the walls are angled suchthat the opening 1459 on the exterior side surface is offset from theopening on the interior surface of the housing. More particularly, thecenter of the opening in the exterior side surface of the side wall maybe vertically offset from the center of the opening in the interior sideof the housing member 1409.

The vertical offset of the openings defines a generally non-horizontallyaligned passage (relative to the orientation shown in FIG. 14B), whichallows the internal components of the side-fired antenna 1434 to beoffset from a central axis of the device 1400 while also allowing theopening 1457 in the exterior side surface to be vertically centered inthe exterior side surface. For example, the height 1452 of the housingmember 1409 above the opening 1457 may be the same as the height 1454 ofthe housing member 1409 below the opening 1457. By aligning the opening1457 with the middle of the side surface (e.g., the middle along thevertical direction), the structural integrity (e.g., stiffness,strength, etc.) of the housing member 1409 may be higher than if theopening 1457 were offset vertically from the center of the side surface(e.g., because the amount of housing material above the opening 1457would be different from the amount below, leading to one side beingweaker than the other). Further, the central alignment of the opening1457 provides an overall symmetrical and balanced appearance to thedevice 1400.

The side-fired antenna 1434 may include a cover element 1462 (alsoreferred to as an insert) within part of the passage 1459. The insert1462 may be a plastic, glass, or other material (e.g., a nonconductivematerial) insert, and may be adhered to the antenna array 1466 via anadhesive. The insert 1462 may be placed into the passage 1459, or it maybe formed in place by, for example, injecting a polymer material intothe passage 1459 and allowing the polymer material to cure or otherwiseharden.

The device 1400 may also include a cover element 1456 positioned in thepassage 1459 and defining part of the exterior side surface of thedevice 1400 (e.g., in conjunction with the exterior side surface of thehousing member 1409). The cover element 1456 may be formed of glass,sapphire, glass-ceramic, plastic, or any other suitable material (e.g.,nonconductive material). The thickness of the cover element 1456 may bedetermined at least in part on the material being used and the effect ofthe material (and the dimensions) on the electromagnetic signals passingthrough the passage 1459. For example, in order to achieve the same orsimilar electromagnetic performance, the thickness of the cover element1456 may be greater if it is formed of glass than if it is formed fromsapphire. If the cover element 1456 is formed of sapphire, a spacerlayer (e.g., a plastic, epoxy, or other suitable material) may beincluded between the cover element 1456 and an adhesive (e.g., theadhesive 1460) that secures the cover to the device 1400.

The cover element 1456 may include a mask layer 1458, which may beapplied to the back or front surface of the cover element 1456. Asshown, the mask layer 1458 is applied to the back surface of the coverelement 1456. The mask layer 1458 may be an ink, dye, film, paint,coating, or other material, and may be visible through the cover element1456. The mask layer 1458 may be opaque. The mask layer 1458 may also bea single layer, or it may include multiple sub-layers. The cover element1456 may be secured to the housing member 1409 via an adhesive 1460. Theadhesive 1460 may also adhere the cover element 1456 to the insert 1462.An outer surface of the cover element 1456 may be substantially flushwith the adjacent surfaces of the housing member 1409 (e.g., thesurfaces defining the heights 1452, 1454).

The side-fired antenna 1434 may also include a dielectric cap 1464. Thedielectric cap 1464 may be positioned on and optionally conductivelycoupled to the antenna array 1466. In some cases, the dielectric cap1464 may be considered part of the antenna array 1466. The shape andmaterial (e.g., the dielectric properties of the material) of thedielectric cap 1464 may contribute to the bandwidth of the side-firedantenna 1434. For example, the bandwidth of the side-fired antenna 1434with the dielectric cap 1464 may be greater than one without thedielectric cap 1464.

FIG. 14C depicts a portion of the side-fired antenna 1434 separate fromthe device 1400, and FIG. 14D depicts a partial cross-sectional view ofthe portion of the side-fired antenna 1434 shown in FIG. 14C. As shownin FIGS. 14C and 14D, the dielectric cap 1464 may include loading blockfeatures 1470. The loading block features 1470 may be conductivelycoupled to antenna elements 1478 in the side-fired antenna 1434, asshown in FIG. 14D. For example, vias or other conductive conduits 1472in a circuit board 1471 or other substrate may conductively couple theloading block features 1470 to the antenna elements 1478. The loadingblock features 1470 may at least partially define a radiation pattern ofthe respective antenna elements 1478 to which they are coupled.

The dielectric cap 1464 and the integral loading block features 1470 maybe formed from an epoxy or other suitable moldable material. Forexample, the dielectric cap 1464 may be formed by molding the epoxyagainst the antenna array 1466. The epoxy that is used to form thedielectric cap 1464 may have a dielectric constant between about 4 andabout 6.

The side-fired antenna 1434 may also include a cap member 1474 at leastpartially enclosing the antenna elements 1478, and a potting material1476 in the antenna array 1466 and at least partially encapsulating theantenna elements 1478.

As noted above, portions of a metal or conductive housing of a devicemay be used as antenna elements to send and receive wireless signals.More particularly, the portions of the metal or conductive housing mayact as the radiating elements of antennas. FIG. 14A, for example, showsan example device 1400 that uses metal housing members to define antennaelements for the sub-6 GHz spectrum. Metal housing members may be usedto define antenna elements for other frequencies and/or protocols inaddition to the sub-6 GHz antennas described with respect to FIG. 14A.FIG. 15 is a schematic representation of a portion of a housing 1500formed of multiple conductive housing members joined together withjoining elements. FIG. 15 also schematically represents exampleconnection points on the housing members where feed and/or ground linesmay be conductively coupled to the housing members to carryelectromagnetic signals from the housing member to other antennacircuitry (and from the antenna circuitry to the housing member).

As shown in FIG. 15 , the housing 1500 may include a first housingmember 1502 that defines a portion of a first side surface 1542 as wellas a first corner surface 1550 and part of a second side surface 1544.The first housing member 1502 is structurally coupled to a secondhousing member 1504 via a first joining element 1514. As noted above,joining elements, such as the joining element 1514, may be formed from apolymer material (e.g., a fiber-reinforced polymer) that canstructurally join housing members while also providing sufficientelectrical isolation between the housing members to allow them to act asantenna elements.

The housing 1500 also includes a second housing member 1504 that definesa portion of the second side surface 1544 and is structurally coupled toa third housing member 1506 via a second joining element 1516. The thirdhousing member 1506 defines part of the second side surface 1544 as wellas a second corner surface 1552.

The third housing member 1506 also defines part of a third side surface1546 of the housing and is structurally connected to a fourth housingmember 1508 via a third joining element 1518. The fourth housing member1508 also defines a portion of the third side surface 1546, a thirdcorner surface 1554, and part of the fourth side surface 1548.

The fourth housing member 1508 is coupled to a fifth housing member 1510via a fourth joining element 1520. The fifth housing member 1510 definesa portion of the fourth side surface 1548 and is coupled to a sixthhousing member 1512 via a fifth joining element 1522. The sixth housingmember 1512 defines a portion of the fourth side surface 1548, a fourthcorner surface 1556, and a portion of the first side surface 1542. Thesixth housing member 1512 is structurally connected to the first housingmember 1502 via a sixth joining element 1525.

Each of the joining elements of the housing 1500 may define a portion ofan exterior surface of the housing 1500. Thus, the exterior sidesurfaces of the housing 1500 may be defined entirely or substantiallyentirely by the housing members and the joining elements.

In order to operate as antenna elements, the housing members of thehousing 1500 may be conductively coupled to antenna circuitry,electrical ground planes, and the like. The particular locations of theconnection points on the housing members, as well as the sizes andshapes of the housing members, may at least partially define parametersof the antenna elements. Example antenna parameters may include resonantfrequency, range, radiation pattern, efficiency, bandwidth, directivity,gain, or the like.

FIG. 15 illustrates example positions for the connection points of feedand ground lines to the housing members. For example, feed and groundlines may be conductively coupled to the first housing member 1502 atconnection points 1524-1, 1524-2, thereby facilitating wirelesscommunication via the first housing member 1502.

Feed and ground lines may be conductively coupled to the second housingmember 1504 at connection points 1528-1, 1528-2 and optionally atconnection points 1526-1, 1526-2. The portion of the second housingmember 1504 between or proximate the connection points 1526-1, 1526-2may act as one antenna element, while the portion of the second housingmember 1504 between or proximate the connection points 1528-1, 1528-2may act as another, independent antenna element (e.g., it may send andreceive electromagnetic signals independently of the antenna elementbetween the connection points 1526-1, 1526-2, despite being defined bythe same housing member 1502). While FIG. 15 illustrates connectionpoints 1526-1, 1526-2, these may be omitted in some implementations,such as in the device 1400 of FIG. 14A, which uses a conductive elementon a circuit board as an antenna element in that corner of the deviceinstead of using a housing member.

Feed and ground lines may be conductively coupled to the third housingmember 1506 at connection points 1530-1, 1530-2, and to the fourthhousing member 1508 at connection points 1532-1, 1532-2 and connectionpoints 1534-1, 1534-2. The fourth housing member 1508 may definedifferent antenna element configurations depending on which feed andground lines are used at a given time. For example, in a first mode, theconnection points 1532-1, 1532-2 are used, such that the fourth housingmember 1508 is configured to communicate via a first communicationsprotocol (or frequency), and in a second mode, the connection points1534-1, 1534-2 are used, such that the fourth housing member 1508 isconfigured to communicate via a second communications protocol (offrequency) that differs from the first.

Feed and ground lines may be conductively coupled to the fifth housingmember 1510 at connection points 1536-1, 1536-2, and at connectionpoints 1538-1, 1538-2. Similar to the configuration of the secondhousing member 1504, the portion of the fifth housing member 1510between or proximate the connection points 1536-1, 1536-2 may act as oneantenna element, while the portion of the fifth housing member 1510between or proximate the connection points 1538-1, 1538-2 may act asanother, independent antenna element (e.g., it may send and receiveelectromagnetic signals independently of the antenna element between theconnection points 1536-1, 1536-2, despite being defined by the samehousing member 1510). Feed and ground lines may also be conductivelycoupled to the sixth housing member 1512 at connection points 1540-1,1540-2.

As noted above, the housing members of the herein described devicehousings may be used to form multiple groups or sets of antennas, witheach group or set communicating via a different communication protocolor frequency band. For example, the housing may define multiple antennasof a first MIMO antenna array or group (e.g., for a 4G communicationprotocol) as well as multiple antennas of a second MIMO antenna array(e.g., for a 5G communication protocol). In one non-limiting exampleconfiguration, the antenna elements defined by the connection points1524, 1530, 1532, 1534, and 1540 may be configured to operate as part ofa first MIMO antenna array (e.g., for a 4G communication protocol),while the antenna elements defined by the connection points 1526 (ifprovided), 1528, 1536, and 1538 may be configured to operate as part ofa second MIMO antenna array (e.g., for a 5G communication protocol). Forany given antenna group, the antenna elements of that group do not allneed to be housing members. For example, the second MIMO antenna arrayor group may use an internal antenna (e.g., the antenna 1408, FIG. 14A)as one of the antennas in a 4×4 MIMO array.

As described above, conductive housing members, which may act as aradiating structure of an antenna or antenna system, may be structurallycoupled together via joining elements. The joining elements may beformed from a polymer material or other dielectric material that canprovide sufficient electrical isolation between housing members tofacilitate the use of the housing members as radiating structures forantennas. In some cases, the joining elements include one, two, or moremolded elements, which are molded into a gap between the housing membersand into engagement with the housing members. Because the joiningelements structurally retain housing members together, a strongengagement between the joining elements and the housing members may bepreferred. Accordingly, the housing members may include or definestructures and/or features that a joining element engages in order toretain the joining element to the housing members, and thereby retainthe housing members together.

FIG. 16A illustrates an example housing member 1600 that includesfeatures with which a joining element may engage. The portion of thehousing member shown in FIG. 16A may correspond generally to the area16A-16A in FIG. 14A.

The housing member 1600 may be formed from or include a conductivematerial, such as stainless steel, aluminum, a metal alloy or the like,and may be conductively coupled to an antenna circuit (e.g., via feedand/or ground lines, as described above) to act as a radiating structurefor a device. The portion of the housing member 1600 shown in FIG. 16Amay abut and/or engage with a joining element, as shown in FIG. 16B.

The housing member 1600 defines a first interlock feature 1602 thatextends inwardly (e.g., towards an interior of the device) from asidewall 1601 defined by the housing member 1600. The first interlockfeature 1602 may extend from an interior side 1605 of the housing member1600, where the interior side 1605 is opposite an exterior side 1603.

The sidewall 1601 may define an exterior surface of the device of whichthe housing member 1600 is a part. The first interlock feature 1602 maydefine a first hole 1604 and one or more second holes 1606. When ajoining element is formed by injecting or otherwise molding a moldablematerial against the housing member 1600, the moldable material may atleast partially surround and/or encapsulate the first interlock feature1602, and may flow into and optionally through the first and secondholes 1604, 1606. By at least partially encapsulating the interlockfeature 1602 and flowing into and/or through the first and second holes1604, 1606, the joining elements may be structurally interlocked withthe housing member 1600, thereby securely retaining the joining elementto the housing member 1600.

The housing member 1600 may also define a second interlock feature, suchas a recess 1610, which may be an indentation, cavity, or other similarfeature that is recessed relative to an end surface 1608 of the housingmember 1600. The end surface 1608 of the housing member 1600 may be theportion of the housing member 1600 that extends closest to anotherhousing member to which the housing member 1600 is coupled via a joiningelement. The end surface 1608 may be offset from an end surface 1609defined by the first interlock feature 1602. More particularly, the endsurface 1609 may be recessed relative to the end surface 1608 (e.g.,along a direction that is perpendicular to the end surfaces 1608, 1609).

The recess 1610 may have a depth between about 100 microns and about1000 microns, and may have a width (e.g., the left-to-right dimension asdepicted in FIG. 16A) between about 100 microns and about 400 microns,and a length (e.g., the top-to-bottom dimension as depicted in FIG. 16A)between about 750 microns and about 3000 microns. In some cases, thehousing member 1600 may also define pores along the end surface 1608and/or the end surface 1609. The pores may be formed on the end surfaces1608 and/or 1609, and may also be formed on the surface of the recess1610. The pores may be a distinct structure than the recess 1610. Forexample, the recess 1610 may have a length dimension greater than about1000 microns and a width dimension greater than about 100 microns, whilethe pores may have length and/or width dimensions less than about 10microns. Similarly, the recess 1610 may have a depth greater than about100 microns, while the pores may have a depth less than about 10microns. In some cases, the pores are formed by chemical etching,abrasive blasting, laser or plasma etching, or the like. The material ofthe joining element may extend or flow into the pores during formationof the joining element and engage and/or interlock with the pores tosecure the joining element to the housing member 1600. In some cases,the pores are formed after the recess 1610 is formed, such that thepores are present on the surface of the recess 1610. In other cases, thepores are formed prior to formation of the recess 1610, such that thesurface of the recess 1610 lacks the pores, or has a different surfacemorphology and/or topography than the end surface on which the pores areformed (e.g., the end surface 1608 may have pores from a chemicaletching, while the recess 1610 may have machine marks from a machiningprocess). In some cases, the largest dimension (e.g., length, width,depth) of the pores is at least an order of magnitude smaller than thelargest dimension (e.g., length, width, depth) of the recess 1610.

The housing member 1600 may define a flange portion 1607 that isadjacent to and/or extends along a peripheral side of a top module(which may include a cover member, a display, touch-sensing components,and the like). In some cases, the second interlock feature 1610 (e.g.,the recess, as shown) is positioned in the flange portion 1607, therebyreinforcing the portion of the joint that is along the side of the topmodule. More particularly, the flange portion 1607 may define acantilever that extends away from the first interlock feature 1602, andthe second interlock feature 1610 may provide a supplementalinterlocking engagement with a joining element to help prevent or limitseparation or detachment of the flange portion 1607 from the joiningelement (e.g., the joining element 1612, FIG. 16B). The flange mayextend along a direction (e.g., the vertical direction in FIG. 16A,which may be parallel to an exterior side surface defined by the housingmember 1600 and/or perpendicular to the front surface defined by a covermember of the device), and the second interlock feature 1610 may be anelongate recess or channel with a longitudinal axis that extendsparallel to the exterior side surface of the housing member (e.g., alongthe same direction that the flange extends from the first interlockfeature 1602).

When a moldable material is flowed into place (e.g., between the housingmember 1600 and another housing member) to form a joining element, themoldable material may flow into and at least partially fill the recess1610, thereby forming a corresponding protrusion in the moldablematerial. When the moldable material is then cured or otherwisehardened, the protrusion of the joining element and the recess 1610interlock with one another. The interlock between the recess 1610 andthe protrusion may help prevent separation of the joining element andthe housing member 1600. Further, the position of the recess 1610relative to the exterior surface defined by the sidewall 1601 may helpimprove the structural rigidity of the joint and help maintain thealignment (and mechanical coupling) between the housing member 1600, thejoining element, and the adjoining housing member in the event of a dropor other impact event. For example, while the first interlock feature1602 may provide substantial structural strength to the interfacebetween the joining element and the housing member 1600, its position isfurther inboard (e.g., relatively nearer the internal volume of ahousing) than the recess 1610. By contrast, the further outboardposition of the recess 1610 (e.g., relatively nearer the externalsurface of the housing member 1600) may improve the strength andstability of the alignment between the exterior surfaces of the housingmembers and the joining element.

FIG. 16B is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing member 1600(joined to another housing member 1616 via a joining element 1612),viewed along line 16B-16B in FIG. 16A. (While FIG. 16A does not show thejoining element and the housing member 1616, FIG. 16B represents theview along line 16B-16B if such components were present.) The joiningelement 1612 may be positioned between and in contact with the endsurface 1608 of the housing member 1600 and a corresponding end surface1617 of the housing member 1616. The joining element 1612 may alsoextend into and interlock with the recess 1610 of the housing member1600, as well as a recess 1614 defined by the housing member 1616. Inaddition to the mechanical interlocking between the joining element 1612and the recesses 1610, 1614 (and/or other retention structures and/orinterlock features), the moldable material of the joining element 1612may form a chemical or other adhesive bond with the material of thehousing members 1600, 1616.

The exterior surfaces of the joining element 1612 and the housingmembers 1600, 1616 may define a smooth continuous exterior surface 1613of the housing. For example, any gaps, seams, or other discontinuitiesbetween the joining element 1612 and the housing members 1600, 1616along the exterior surface 1613 of the housing may be undetectable tothe touch and/or to the unaided eye. For example, a fingernail slidingalong the exterior surface 1613 may not catch on the seam between thejoining element 1612 and the housing members 1600, 1616. In some cases,any gap, seam, or other discontinuity between the joining element 1612and the housing members 1600, 1616 may be less than about 200 microns,less than about 100 microns, less than about 50 microns, less than about20 microns, or less than about 10 microns (in depth, length, offset,and/or other dimension). The interlock between the joining element 1612and the recesses 1610, 1614 may help prevent or inhibit relative motionbetween the housing members 1600, 1616 and the joining element 1612,such as relative motion of these components along a vertical direction(as oriented in FIG. 16B). Accordingly, the recesses 1610, 1614 may helpmaintain the substantially seamless texture and appearance between thejoining element 1612 and the housing members 1600, 1616.

FIG. 16C illustrates another example housing member 1620 that includesfeatures with which a joining element may engage. The housing member1620 may be formed from or include a conductive material, such asstainless steel, aluminum, a metal alloy or the like, and may beconductively coupled to an antenna circuit (e.g., via feed and/or groundlines, as described above) to act as a radiating structure for a device.The portion of the housing member 1620 shown in FIG. 16C may abut and/orengage with a joining element, as shown in FIG. 16D.

The housing member 1620 defines a first interlock feature 1622 thatextends inwardly (e.g., towards an interior of the device) from asidewall 1621 defined by the housing member 1620. The first interlockfeature 1622 may extend from an interior side of the housing member 1620(e.g., analogous to the interior side 1605, FIG. 16A), where theinterior side is opposite an exterior side (e.g., analogous to theexterior side 1603, FIG. 16A).

The sidewall 1621 may define an exterior surface of the device of whichthe housing member 1620 is a part. The first interlock feature 1622 maydefine a first hole 1624 and one or more second holes 1626. When ajoining element is formed by injecting or otherwise molding a moldablematerial against the housing member 1620, the moldable material may atleast partially surround and/or encapsulate the first interlock feature1622, and may flow into and optionally through the first and secondholes 1624, 1626. By at least partially encapsulating the interlockfeature 1622 and flowing into and/or through the first and second holes1624, 1626, the joining elements may be structurally interlocked withthe housing member 1620, thereby securely retaining the joining elementto the housing member 1620.

The housing member 1620 may also define a protruding feature 1630, whichmay be a post, pin, or have any other suitable shape or configurationthat protrudes or extends from an end surface 1628 of the housing member1620. The end surface 1628 of the housing member 1620 may be the portionof the housing member 1620 that, with the exception of the protrudingfeature 1630, extends closest to another housing member to which thehousing member 1620 is coupled via a joining element.

The protruding feature 1630 may operate in a similar manner as therecess 1610 in FIGS. 16A-16B. For example, when a moldable material isflowed into place (e.g., between the housing member 1620 and anotherhousing member) to form a joining element, the moldable material mayflow around the protruding feature 1630 to at least partiallyencapsulate the protruding feature 1630. When the moldable material isthen cured or otherwise hardened, the protruding feature 1630 and therecess in the moldable material that is formed around the protrudingfeature 1630 interlock with one another. The interlock between theprotruding feature 1630 and the moldable material may help preventseparation of the joining element and the housing member 1620. Further,the position of the protruding feature 1630 relative to the exteriorsurface defined by the sidewall 1621 may help improve the structuralrigidity of the joint and help maintain the alignment (and mechanicalcoupling) between the housing member 1620, the joining element, and theadjoining housing member in the event of a drop or other impact event.For example, while the first interlock feature 1622 may providesubstantial structural strength to the interface between the joiningelement and the housing member 1620, its position is further inboard(e.g., relatively nearer the internal volume of a housing) than theprotruding feature 1630. By contrast, the further outboard position ofthe protruding feature 1630 (e.g., relatively nearer the externalsurface of the housing member 1620) may improve the strength andstability of the alignment between the exterior surfaces of the housingmembers and the joining element.

In some cases, the housing member 1620 may also define pores along theend surface 1628 and/or the end surface 1629. The pores may be formed onthe end surfaces 1628 and/or 1629, and may also be formed on the surfaceof the protruding feature 1630. The pores may be a distinct structurethan the protruding feature 1630. For example, the protruding feature1630 protrudes by a distance greater than about 100 microns, and mayhave a length and width dimension greater than about 100 microns, whilethe pores may have depth, length, and/or width dimensions less thanabout 10 microns. In some cases, the pores are formed by chemicaletching, abrasive blasting, laser or plasma etching, or the like. Thematerial of the joining element may extend or flow into the pores duringformation of the joining element and engage and/or interlock with thepores to secure the joining element to the housing member 1620. In somecases, the pores are formed after the protruding feature 1630 is formed,such that the pores are present on the surfaces of the protrudingfeature 1630. In other cases, the surfaces of the protruding feature1630 lack the pores, or have a different surface morphology and/ortopography than the end surface on which the pores are formed. In somecases, the largest dimension (e.g., length, width, depth) of the poresis at least an order of magnitude smaller than the largest dimension(e.g., length, width, depth) of the protruding feature 1630.

FIG. 16D is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing member 1620(joined to another housing member 1625 via a joining element 1632),viewed along line 16D-16D in FIG. 16C. (While FIG. 16C does not show thejoining element 1632 and the housing member 1625, FIG. 16D representsthe view along line 16D-16D if such components were present.) Thejoining element 1632 may be positioned between and in contact with thehousing members 1620, 1625. The joining element 1632 may also at leastpartially (and optionally fully) encapsulate the protruding feature1630. As can be seen in FIG. 16D, the protruding feature 1630 may extendand/or be adjacent to two offset surfaces. For example, with respect tothe housing member 1620, the two offset surfaces include the end surface1628 and an additional end surface 1629. The protruding feature 1630 mayextend a first distance from the end surface 1628, and a second(greater) distance from the additional end surface 1629. A similarstructure may be used on the housing member 1625 (e.g., a protrudingfeature 1636 extending a first distance from an end surface 1638 and asecond (greater) distance from an additional end surface 1634). Thus, asshown in FIG. 16D, the end surfaces 1628, 1638 may be closer togetherthan the additional end surfaces 1629, 1634 (and the ends of theprotruding features 1630, 1636 may be the portions of the housingmembers 1620, 1625 that are closest together). In addition to themechanical interlocking between the joining element 1632 and theprotruding features 1630, 1636 (and any other retention structuresand/or interlock features), the moldable material of the joining element1632 may form a chemical or other adhesive bond with the material of thehousing members 1620, 1625.

The exterior surfaces of the joining element 1632 and the housingmembers 1620, 1625 may define a smooth continuous exterior surface 1623of the housing. For example, any gaps, seams, or other discontinuitiesbetween the joining element 1632 and the housing members 1620, 1625along the exterior surface 1623 of the housing may be undetectable tothe touch and/or to the unaided eye. For example, a fingernail slidingalong the exterior surface 1623 may not catch on the seam between thejoining element 1632 and the housing members 1620, 1625. In some cases,any gap, seam, or other discontinuity between the joining element 1632and the housing members 1620, 1625 may be less than about 200 microns,less than about 100 microns, less than about 50 microns, less than about20 microns, or less than about 10 microns (in depth, length, offset,and/or other dimension). The interlock between the joining element 1632and the housing members 1620, 1625 may help prevent or inhibit relativemotion between the housing members 1620, 1625 and the joining element1632, such as relative motion of these components along a verticaldirection (as oriented in FIG. 16D). Accordingly, the protrudingfeatures 1630, 1636 may help maintain the substantially seamless textureand appearance between the joining element 1632 and the housing members1620, 1625.

In some cases, different types of structures may be used to reinforce orotherwise increase the strength and/or structural integrity of thecoupling between housing members and joining elements. FIG. 16E, forexample, illustrates an example cross-sectional view of a housing thatincludes a joining element 1643 and a first housing member 1640 thatdefines a protruding feature 1644 (as shown in FIGS. 16C-16D) and asecond housing member 1641 that defines a recess 1649 (as shown in FIGS.16A-16B). Using a protruding feature 1644 and a recess 1649 may helpincrease the average or overall distance between the nearest portions ofthe first and second housing members 1640, 1641. In particular, becauseone or both of the housing members 1640, 1641 may be used as a radiatingcomponent of an antenna system, it may be desirable to increase thedistance between them to reduce capacitive coupling or otherelectromagnetic effects due to proximity of the two conductivecomponents. By positioning a recess opposite a protrusion, thestructural benefits of the protrusion (and the recess) may be achievedwhile also providing a greater distance between the closest surfaces ofthe housing members 1640, 1641 (as compared to a configuration with twoprotruding features, for example).

FIG. 17A illustrates an example arrangement of cameras in a rear-facingsensor array of a device 1700. FIG. 17A may correspond to a corner of adevice (e.g., the devices 100, 200), viewed with the cover and display(and optionally other components) removed to show the arrangement of thecameras. The device 1700 may include a first camera module 1702 (whichmay be an embodiment of or otherwise correspond to the first camera 138in FIG. 1B, and/or the first camera 261 in FIG. 2 ) and a second cameramodule 1704 (which may be an embodiment of or otherwise correspond tothe second camera 139 in FIG. 1B, and/or the second camera 262 in FIG. 2). The first and second camera modules 1702 and 1704 may include camerahousings. Any of the cameras shown in FIG. 17A (or elsewhere herein) mayinclude an image stabilization system that helps maintain a sharp image(e.g., reducing the effects of camera shake on the image) by sensingmovement of the device and moving one or more components of the camerain a manner that at least partially compensates for (and/or counteracts)the movement of the device.

The device 1700 may also include a bracket member 1706 (also referred toherein as a camera bracket) to which the first and second camera modules1702, 1704 may be coupled. The bracket member (or camera bracket) 1706may define first and second respective camera portions 1780, 1781, orreceptacles, to which the first and second respective camera modules maybe coupled. The first and second camera portions 1780, 1781 may bepositioned along the diagonal path defined from the first corner regionto the second corner region of the rear-facing sensor array. Each cameraportion may define an opening for the optical components (e.g., lenses)of its respective camera module. The camera portions (e.g., receptacles)may be defined by flanges or side walls that at least partially surroundthe camera modules. The bracket member 1706 may be configured to fix therelative positions of the camera modules.

In modern consumer electronic devices, such as mobile phones, internalspace is at a premium, and space-saving arrangements of components canhave a significant positive impact on various aspects of the device. Forexample, space-saving or compact arrangements of components can free upinternal space that can be used to increase the size and capacity of abattery, or can be used to make the device smaller, thinner, and/orlighter. FIG. 17A shows one example configuration of the camera modulesthat reduces the overall footprint of the camera modules in the system.In particular, the first camera module 1702 (e.g., the camera housing ofthe first camera module) defines a recess 1708 at a corner of themodule. For example, instead of a convex corner, one of the corners ofthe first camera module 1702 is a concave shape (e.g., a recess 1708).This configuration allows a corner of the second camera module 1704(e.g., a corner of a housing of the second camera module) to extend intothe recess 1708, thereby allowing the first and second camera modules1702, 1704 to be positioned more closely together than would be possibleif the first camera module 1702 had conventional convex corners.

In some cases the first camera module 1702 may have a generallyquadrilateral shape with three convex corners and one concave corner. Insome cases, the first camera module 1702 has a parallelogram shape withthree convex corners and one concave corner.

FIG. 17A shows the first camera module 1702 defining the concave cornerand a portion of the second camera module 1704 (e.g., a convex corner ofthe second camera module 1704) positioned in the concave corner of thefirst camera module 1702. In other implementations, the second cameramodule 1704 may define a concave corner, and a convex corner of thefirst camera module 1702 may be positioned in the concave corner of thefirst camera module. In some cases, portions of other components orstructures of an electronic device are positioned in the concave cornerof a camera module, such as a fastener, a mounting post, a battery, ahousing member, a circuit board, or the like. The device 1700 may alsoinclude a frame member 1710 to which the bracket member 1706 may beattached. The frame member 1710 may define a wall structure 1731 (FIG.17D), which in turn defines a container region 1723 (FIG. 17D). Asdescribed herein, one or more cameras (which may be mounted to thebracket member 1706) may be positioned in the container region 1723.

FIG. 17B depicts the first and second camera modules 1702, 1704 and thebracket member 1706 removed from the device 1700. The bracket member1706 may be a structural component that defines the positions of thefirst and second camera modules 1702, 1704 relative to each other. Thebracket member 1706 may serve as a rigid structure to prevent or inhibitthe first and second camera modules 1702, 1704 from moving, twisting, orshifting relative to one another during use or misuse of the device1700. The bracket member 1706 may therefore have a structuralconfiguration that contributes to the rigidity, stiffness, and/orstrength of the bracket member 1706. For example, the bracket member1706 may define, along one side of the first camera portion 1780 andalong one side of the second camera portion 1781, a web portion 1716 (orweb 1716) and an outer wall 1714, also referred to as a stiffening wall.As shown in FIG. 17C, the web 1716 resembles a plate having a thickness,and the stiffening wall 1714 extends from the web 1716 along at leastone side of the web 1716. Accordingly, the stiffening wall 1714 definesa T-shaped flange extending from opposite sides of the web 1716. Thisconfiguration increases the area moment of inertia of the bracket member1706, thereby increasing its resistance to twisting, bending, flexing,or other deflections or deformations. The web 1716 may also define holes1713, through which mounting posts and/or fasteners may extend to securecomponents (including optionally the bracket member 1706 itself) to theframe member 1710 and/or the device more generally.

The web 1716 and stiffening wall 1714 may define a recessed area of thebracket member 1706. In some cases, one or more device components may bepositioned in the recessed area defined by these features. For example,a flexible circuit element 1711 (FIG. 17A) that conductively couples thefirst camera module 1702 to another component (e.g., a logic board,processor, etc.) may be positioned in the recessed area. In such cases,the recessed area, and more particularly the stiffening wall 1714, mayprotect the flexible circuit element 1711.

FIG. 17C depicts an opposite side of the bracket member 1706 and thefirst and second camera modules 1702, 1704. As shown, a first lens 1718of the first camera module 1702 and a second lens 1720 of the secondcamera module 1704 may extend through the bracket member 1706 and beyonda bottom surface 1721 of the bracket member 1706. The lenses 1718, 1720may extend into corresponding openings in the frame member 1710 and maybe positioned adjacent camera covers of the device 1700 (e.g., cameracovers 263, 264, FIG. 2 ). The first lens 1718 may have a first field ofview, and the second lens 1720 may have a second field of view that isdifferent from the first field of view.

FIG. 17D depicts the frame member 1710 secured to the housing of thedevice 1700, with the bracket member 1706 and the first and secondcamera modules 1702, 1704 removed. The frame member 1710 may defineopenings 1724 and 1728 into which lenses of the first and second cameramodules 1702, 1704 may extend. The openings 1724, 1728 may be alignedwith camera covers, such as the covers 263, 264 in FIG. 2 . The framemember 1710 may define mounting posts 1729. The mounting posts 1729 mayextend through openings in the bracket member 1706, and may receivefasteners that secure one or more components to the frame member 1710(e.g., a cowling or cover that extends over the camera modules, thebracket member 1706, etc.).

The frame member 1710 also defines a wall structure 1731 extendingaround all or at least a portion of an outer periphery of the framemember 1710 (and extending at least partially around a periphery of thebracket member 1706 when the bracket member 1706 is positioned in thecontainer region 1723). Biasing springs 1730, 1732 may be coupled to thewall structure 1731 to provide biasing forces on the bracket member 1706and to help maintain the bracket member 1706 (and thus the first andsecond camera modules 1702, 1704) in a target position. For example, thefirst biasing spring 1730 may impart a biasing force on the bracketmember 1706 tending to push the bracket member 1706 in a positive ydirection (e.g., towards a top of the device), while the second biasingspring 1732 may impart a biasing force tending to push the bracketmember 1706 in a positive x direction (e.g., towards a lateral side ofthe device). These biasing forces may ultimately force the bracketmember 1706 against the wall structure 1731 and help maintain thebracket member 1706 in that position during use (or misuse) of thedevice. Further, the biasing springs 1730, 1732 may provide complianceto the bracket member 1706, such that impacts or other forces acting onthe device may cause the bracket member 1706 to be forced against thebiasing springs 1730, 1732. Because the biasing springs 1730, 1732 areflexible and/or compliant, they can absorb some of the energy and allowthe bracket member 1706 to move slightly, rather than the bracket member1706 itself absorbing all of the impact and/or energy, which coulddamage the camera modules, cause misalignment of the camera modulesand/or the bracket member 1706, or the like.

FIGS. 17E and 17F depict a detail view of the frame member 1710 andbiasing spring 1730, corresponding to area 17E-17E in FIG. 17D. Thebiasing spring 1730 may include a beam member that defines an attachmentregion 1735 where the beam is attached to the wall structure 1731 (e.g.,via welding, adhesive, fasteners, rivets, heat stakes, brazing,soldering, etc.). The beam may also define compliant portions 1734,which may be curved, extending from the attachment region 1735, andcontact regions 1736 extending from the compliant portions 1734. Thecontact regions 1736 may contact the bracket member 1706 and may impartthe biasing force produced by the biasing spring 1730 onto the bracketmember 1706.

The compliant portions 1734 may deflect and/or deform (e.g., towards thewall structure 1731) when the bracket member 1706 is positioned in theframe member 1710. The compliant portions 1734 may have a curvature thatis generally convex towards the wall structure 1731. The convexcurvature of the compliant portions 1734 may provide a dynamic fulcrumlocation along the compliant portions 1734. For example, as shown inFIG. 17E, when the bracket member 1706 is not yet installed, the fulcrumlocation 1737 of the compliant portions 1734 (e.g., where the compliantportions 1734 contact and/or bend against the wall structure 1731) areproximate the attachment region 1735. As shown in FIG. 17F, when thebracket member is installed, the fulcrum location 1739 is furthertowards the distal ends (e.g., towards the contact regions 1736) of thebiasing spring 1730. If the bracket member 1706 were to be forcedtowards the wall structure 1731 (e.g., due to the device being droppedonto a hard surface, for example), the compliant portions 1734 maydeflect further towards the wall structure 1731, resulting in thefulcrum locations moving even further outboard towards the distal endsof the biasing spring 1730. The dynamic fulcrum locations may alsocorrespond to differing or varying spring rates of the biasing spring1730. For example, as the fulcrum location moves outboard, the springrate of the biasing spring may increase or otherwise change inaccordance with the deflection, resulting in a greater resistance tofurther deformation or deflection. In some cases, the spring rate mayremain substantially constant despite movement of the fulcrum location.In some cases, the spring rate may vary in a nonlinear way as thefulcrum location moves outboard. The particular spring rate and/orspring rate changes (e.g., caused by the dynamic fulcrum location) maybe selected to produce a desired force or movement profile of thebracket member 1706.

While FIGS. 17D-17F show the biasing springs as each having twocompliant portions, other examples may have only a single compliantportion (e.g., the biasing springs may have one “wing” instead of two“wings” as shown). Further, while FIGS. 17E-17F describe the biasingspring 1730, the discussion applies equally to the biasing spring 1732.The biasing springs 1730, 1732 may be formed from any suitable material,such as metal (e.g. aluminum, steel, titanium), a polymer, afiber-reinforced polymer (e.g., carbon fiber), and/or a compositematerial. The biasing springs 1730, 1732 may be a single, monolithicmember (e.g., a unitary piece of metal), or they may be formed frommultiple components.

FIG. 17G depicts an example arrangement of several components within thedevice 1700, including several shrouds that are positioned overcomponents of the device 1700. For example, a camera shroud 1748 may bepositioned over the first and second camera modules 1702, 1704 of thedevice 1700. In examples where a device includes more or fewer cameras,the same or a similar camera shroud 1748 may be used. FIG. 17G alsodepicts a logic board shroud 1749 positioned over at least a portion ofa main logic board 1750. FIG. 17G also depicts a speaker module 1760,which may be an embodiment of the speaker modules 250, 350, or any otherspeaker modules described herein. The speaker module 1760 may include ashroud that at least partially covers the speaker module 1760.

The shrouds may be formed from metal, plastic, carbon fiber, or anyother material(s). The shrouds may be configured to protect underlyingcomponents from physical damage due to contact with other components(e.g., a top module), as well as to provide electromagnetic shieldingbetween components. The shrouds may be affixed to the device in variousways. In some cases, for example, the shrouds may be affixed to thedevice via fasteners such as screws or bolts.

FIG. 17H depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 1700,viewed along line 17H-17H in FIG. 17G, illustrating an exampleconfiguration of the camera shroud 1748. As noted above, shrouds may actas a physical barrier between components of the device. The camerashroud 1748, for example, acts as a barrier between the camera module(s)and the top module, and can help prevent the camera(s) and the topmodule from contacting and potentially damaging each other during drops,impacts, or other forceful events. Some shrouds may be designed withphysical compliance or flexibility to help dissipate or reduce theenergy from an impact. FIG. 17H illustrates an example configuration forsecuring the camera shroud 1748 to the device while also providingphysical compliance to the camera shroud 1748. The camera shroud 1748may have a wrapped segment such that the camera shroud 1748 has twolevels. More particularly, the camera shroud 1748 may define a topportion 1775, a loop portion 1763, and a lower portion 1774. The topportion 1775 may define a clearance hole 1762 to provide access for afastener 1766 (e.g., a screw, bolt, etc.) to pass through to reach afastening hole 1765 defined through the lower portion 1774. The fastener1766 may capture a portion of the lower portion 1774 between a flange ofthe fastener 1766 and a top surface of a mounting post 1767 to securethe camera shroud 1748 to the device. The mounting post 1767 may beattached to a base 1764, which may be a frame, base, plate, or otherstructure of the device.

The multi-level configuration of the camera shroud 1748, and moreparticularly the loop portion 1763, may provide physical compliance tothe camera shroud 1748. For example, the loop portion 1763 may act as aspring or other compliant structure that bends when a force is appliedto the top portion 1775 (e.g., by a component of the top module), thusallowing the top portion 1775 to move relative to the lower portion1774. The bending or flexing of the loop portion 1763 may absorb and/ordissipate energy associated with the impact, or otherwise reduce themagnitude of shock loading or other forces resulting from contact withthe camera shroud 1748.

Parameters of the loop portion 1763, such as spring constant, stiffness,or the like, may be defined by the materials and/or dimensions of theloop portion 1763. For example, the thickness of the loop portion may beselective to provide a particular spring constant to the camera shroud1748. The thickness of the loop portion 1763 may be constant, or it mayvary along the length of the loop portion 1763. The thickness of theloop portion 1763 may be the same as or different from the thickness ofthe top and lower portions 1775, 1774.

FIG. 17I depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the device 1700,viewed along line 17I-17I in FIG. 17G, illustrating an exampleconfiguration for mounting the logic board shroud 1749 and the speakermodule 1760 (FIG. 17G) to a device. As shown in FIG. 17I, both the logicboard shroud 1749 (or a mounting tab of the logic board itself, such asthe tab portion 2108, FIG. 21B) and a mounting tab 1776 of the speakermodule 1760 may be secured to the device via a single fasteningassembly. In particular, the mounting tab 1776 may be captured between amounting post 1772 and a main fastener 1769.

A compliant member 1773 may be attached to the mounting tab 1776. Thecompliant member 1773 may be formed of a polymer such as silicone,rubber, or the like, and may be compressed or otherwise captured betweenthe mounting post 1772 and the main fastener 1769, thereby imparting acorresponding compression force on the mounting tab 1776 to secure andsubstantially immobilize the speaker module 1760. The compliant member1773 may help inhibit the transmission of vibrations, oscillations, orother physical forces from the speaker module 1760 to other componentsof the device 1700 through the mounting post 1772. More particularly,the speaker module 1760 is configured to output sounds, such as music,notification sounds (e.g., ringtones), voice output for telephone calls,audio tracks for videos or movies, and the like. As such, the speakermodule 1760 (and more particularly a diaphragm of the speaker module1760) vibrates in order to produce the sounds. These vibrations may bedetrimental to other components of the device. For example, vibrationsmay cause other components such as fasteners, electrical connectors, orthe like, to loosen and potentially become detached. Vibrations may alsocontribute to the weakening of adhesive joints or cause unwanted rubbingor friction between components in a device. Accordingly, the compliantmember 1773 may help reduce the effect (e.g., amount, amplitude,frequency, etc.) of vibrations from the speaker module 1760 on themounting post 1772 and/or main fastener 1769, and thus reduce thetransfer of vibrations to other components of the device 1700 (e.g., tothe logic board via a tab portion 2108 or other mounting tab of thelogic board). The particular properties of the compliant member, such asthe durometer, vibration damping characteristics, and the like, may beselected based on the parameters of the expected vibrations from thespeaker module 1760 (e.g., the amplitude and/or frequency of theexpected vibrations).

As shown in FIG. 17I, both the speaker module 1760 and the logic boardshroud 1749 may be secured to the device using a single fasteningassembly. The main fastener 1769 may define a threaded post portion 1771that threads into the mounting post 1772, as well as a threaded holeportion 1770 into which a threaded fastener 1768 (e.g., a screw, bolt,etc.) threads. The logic board shroud 1749 may be captured between thefastener 1768 and the main fastener 1769. As described above, thecompliant member 1773 may help inhibit vibrations from the speakermodule 1760 from being transferred to the logic board shroud 1749.

Returning to FIG. 17A, the device 1700 may include a barrier wall 1740(or wall 1740) that is positioned between the battery 1741 of the device1700 and the cameras (including the first and second camera modules1702, 1704. The wall 1740 may be configured to prevent or inhibit anypotential motion of the battery 1741 from damaging the cameras and/orthe flexible circuit elements that connect the cameras to othercircuitry of the device. The wall 1740 may be formed of metal, polymer,carbon fiber, or the like, and may be attached to a housing member orother component of the device 1700 (e.g., via adhesive, welding,fasteners, etc.). In some cases, portions of flexible circuit elements1711 and 1745 are routed between the wall 1740 and the cameras. Theseportions of the flexible circuit elements 1711 and 1745 may be coupledto a joint connector 1746, which may physically and electrically coupleto a corresponding connector on another component of the device 1700,such as a main logic board or the like. The joint connector may therebyconductively couple both the first and second camera modules 1702, 1704to other circuitry of the device 1700.

In order for portions of the flexible circuit elements 1711 and 1745 tofit between the cameras and the wall 1740, those portions of theflexible circuit elements 1711 and 1745 may be oriented substantiallyvertically, while other portions of the flexible circuit elements 1711and 1745 may be oriented substantially horizontally. In such cases, theportions of the flexible circuit elements 1711 and 1745 that are betweenthe wall 1740 and the cameras may be substantially perpendicular toother portions of the flexible circuit elements 1711 and 1745 (e.g., theportion of the flexible circuit element 1711 that extends between thefirst camera module 1702 and the wall 1740, and the portion of theflexible circuit element 1745 that extends from the second camera module1704 to the vertical portion of the flexible circuit element 1745 (e.g.,the portion between the wall 1740 and the second camera module 1704itself).

The wall 1740 may define one or more recesses or jogged regions toaccommodate portions of the battery 1741. For example, the battery 1741may include a flexible pouch that contains the battery cell therein. Theflexible pouch may be formed by fusing or attaching two layers of aflexible material together around a periphery of the battery cell. Thelayers that are attached may be folded up against the side of thebattery such that the sides or edges of the battery are irregular orotherwise not perfectly straight. For example, as shown in FIG. 17A, thebattery 1741 defines a protruding portion 1742 at a corner of thebattery 1741. The protruding portion 1742 may correspond to or be aresult of folding a portion of the pouch against a side of the battery.In other cases, the protruding portion 1742 is an outwardly protrudingportion that corresponds to an internal recess in the pouch thataccommodates circuitry, additional battery cells, or the like.Regardless of the function of a protruding portion 1742, the wall 1740may define one or more recesses into which the protruding portion 1742extends. For example, the first segment 1743 of the wall 1740 may beoffset relative to a second segment 1744 of the wall, such that thefirst segment 1743 defines a recess. The second segment 1744 of the wallmay be at a position in the y direction of the device that wouldcontact, interfere with, or otherwise be too close to the protrudingportion 1742. Accordingly, the first segment 1743 of the wall ispositioned further away from the battery 1741 (e.g., it defines arecess), such that the protruding portion 1742 does not contact orotherwise interfere with the wall 1740. In some cases, the minimumdistance between the wall 1740 and the battery 1741 is less than about 1mm. The minimum distance may be defined between the protruding portion1742 of the battery and the first segment 1743 of the wall.

FIG. 18A depicts a cross-sectional view of a device through a portion ofa rear-facing sensor array (e.g., the sensor array 141, FIG. 1D) thatincludes a depth sensor module. The depth sensor module may include anemitter assembly 1822 and a sensor assembly 1820. A cover lens 1824 maybe positioned on or over the emitter assembly 1822. The emitter assembly1822 and sensor assembly 1820 may include lens assemblies, lightemitters, light sensors, and the like.

For example, the emitter assembly 1822 is adapted to emit one or morebeams of light, such as coherent light beams having a substantiallyuniform wavelength/frequency (e.g., infrared laser light). The sensorassembly 1820 may detect beams of light that are emitted by the emitterassembly 1822 and reflected by an object external to the device. Thedepth sensor module may determine, based on time-of-flight measurementsfor example, a distance to an object based on the reflected lightdetected by the sensor assembly 1820.

The sensor assembly 1820 and emitter assembly 1822 may be coupled to asubstrate 1818 (e.g., a circuit board), and may be held in place by aframe member 1816. The sensor assembly 1820, emitter assembly 1822,circuit board 1818, and frame member 1816 (and optionally othercomponents) may be at least partially enclosed in an enclosure, whichmay include a first enclosure member 1812 and a second enclosure member1814.

The depth sensor may generally define a snout portion 1809. The snoutportion 1809 may have a height that is less than the depth of an opening1807 in the rear cover 1802. More particularly, the depth sensor may bepositioned in a thickened region 1826 of the rear cover 1802, where thethickened region 1826 corresponds to or defines the rear-facing sensorarray (and is thicker than a main portion 1827 of the rear cover 1802).As such, the end of the snout portion 1809 may be recessed relative tothe top surface of the rear cover 1802. However, an air gap between theemitter and sensor assemblies 1822, 1820 and the cover 1804 may bedetrimental to performance of the depth sensor. Accordingly, atransparent interposer structure 1810 may be positioned between thesnout portion 1809 of the depth sensor module and the underside of thecover 1804. The interposer structure 1810 may include a lens portion1825 that is positioned between the cover 1804 and the snout portion1809. The lens portion 1825 reduces the size of the air gap between thesnout portion 1809 and the cover 1804, and may therefore reduce theextent to which the light emitted by the emitter assembly 1822 disperses(e.g., angles away from a centerline of the emitter assembly 1822) priorto the light exiting the device through the cover 1804.

The interposer may include flanges that are adhered to the firstenclosure member 1812 and to the rear cover 1802. The lens portion 1825may also be adhered to the cover 1804 via an optically clear adhesive1806. In some cases, the cover 1804, the optically clear adhesive 1806,and the lens portion 1825 of the interposer may have the same orsubstantially similar index of refraction. For example, in some casesthe indices of refraction of the cover 1804, the optically clearadhesive 1806, and the lens portion 1825 differ by less than about 5%.In some cases, the cover 1804, the optically clear adhesive 1806, andthe lens portion 1825 each have a refractive index between about 1.7 andabout 1.8.

A sealing member 1808 (e.g., an O-ring) may form an environmental and/orlight seal between the interposer structure 1810 and the inner wall ofthe hole 1807 defined through the rear cover 1802. In some cases, aninfrared-transparent, visually opaque coating may be applied to thecover 1804 (e.g., to an inner surface of the cover 1804 and adjacent theadhesive 1806). The interposer structure 1810 may be formed from atransparent material, such as glass, a polymer (e.g., polycarbonate),sapphire, or the like.

FIG. 18B depicts a cross-sectional view of a device through a portion ofa rear-facing sensor array (e.g., the sensor array 141, FIG. 1D) thatincludes a depth sensor module. FIG. 18B depicts another exampleconfiguration for integrating the depth sensor module of FIG. 18A into adevice. As noted with respect to FIG. 18A, the depth sensor maygenerally define a snout portion 1809 that has a height that is lessthan the depth of an opening 1807 in the rear cover 1802. Moreparticularly, the depth sensor may be positioned in a thickened region1826 of the rear cover 1802, where the thickened region 1826 correspondsto or defines the rear-facing sensor array (and is thicker than a mainportion 1827 of the rear cover 1802). As such, the end of the snoutportion 1809 may be recessed relative to the top surface of the rearcover 1802. While FIG. 18A illustrates an interposer structure 1810 thatdefines a lens portion 1825, the example in FIG. 18B includes a depthsensor mounting bracket 1834, and a separate cover member 1830 that ispositioned in the opening 1807 of the rear cover 1802 and is coupled to(e.g., via adhesive 1832) the mounting bracket 1834. The mountingbracket 1834 may include flanges that are adhered to the first enclosuremember 1812 and to the rear cover 1802. The mounting bracket 1834 may beformed from metal (e.g., aluminum, steel, etc.), a polymer, or any othersuitable material.

The cover 1830 may have a thickness that is substantially equal to thecombined thickness of cover 1804, adhesive 1806, and lens portion 1825in FIG. 18A. Further, the thickness of the cover 1830 may be greaterthan the covers positioned over rear-facing cameras that are also partof the rear-facing sensor array. The thick cover 1830 may reduce orminimize any air gap between the snout portion 1809 and the cover 1830,and may therefore reduce the extent to which the light emitted by theemitter assembly 1822 disperses (e.g., angles away from a centerline ofthe emitter assembly 1822) prior to the light exiting the device throughthe cover 1830. The cover 1830 may be formed from sapphire, glass,plastic, or another suitable material. The cover 1830 may include one ormore coatings, dyes, inks, layers, or other materials or treatments thatrender the cover 1830 visually opaque (e.g., opaque to at least someportions of light in the visible spectrum). While the cover 1830 mayappear visually opaque, it may be at least partially transparent tolight from the emitter assembly 1822 (e.g., to allow the depth sensormodule to function, while also occluding the depth sensor module fromvisibility).

FIG. 18C illustrates another example cover assembly 1840 that may beused in place of the cover 1830 shown in FIG. 18B. In this case, insteadof the monolithic cover 1830, a cover assembly 1840 may include an outercover 1842 that defines the exterior surface of the cover assembly 1840,and an inner cover 1848, coupled to the outer cover 1842 via an adhesive1844. The outer cover 1842 may be mounted to the mounting bracket 1834via adhesive 1846, and the inner cover 1848 may be positioned in thehole that is defined by the mounting bracket 1834. In this example, thechimney-like structure of the mounting bracket 1834 to which the outercover 1842 is coupled may be taller than the example shown in FIG. 18Bto accommodate the thinner outer cover 1842 and to position the exteriorsurface of the outer cover 1842 substantially flush with the exteriorsurface of the rear cover 1802 (e.g., the surface of the rear-facingsensor array). Further, because the inner cover 1848 is within thechimney-like structure of the mounting bracket 1834, it may extendcloser to the snout 1809 than the cover 1830 shown in FIG. 18B.

The inner cover 1848 may be adhered to the outer cover 1842 via anoptically clear adhesive 1844. In some cases, the inner cover 1848, theoptically clear adhesive 1844, and the outer cover 1842 may have thesame or substantially similar index of refraction. For example, in somecases the indices of refraction of the inner cover 1848, the opticallyclear adhesive 1844, and the outer cover 1842 differ by less than about5%. In some cases, the inner cover 1848, the optically clear adhesive1844, and the outer cover 1842 each have a refractive index betweenabout 1.7 and about 1.8. The inner cover 1848 and outer cover 1842 maybe formed of the same or different materials. Example materials of theinner cover 1848 and the outer cover 1842 include sapphire, glass,polymers (e.g., polycarbonate, acrylic, etc.), or the like.

The cover assembly 1840 may include one or more coatings, dyes, inks,layers, or other materials or treatments that render the cover assembly1840 visually opaque (e.g., opaque to at least some portions of light inthe visible spectrum). While the cover assembly 1840 may appear visuallyopaque, it may be at least partially transparent to light from theemitter assembly 1822 (e.g., to allow the depth sensor module tofunction, while also occluding the depth sensor module from visibility).

FIG. 19A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a device through aportion of a rear-facing sensor array (e.g., the sensor array 141, FIG.1D), viewed along line 19-19 in FIG. 1D, for example. FIG. 19Aillustrates a first lens assembly 1904 of a camera (e.g., the secondcamera 144, FIG. 1D) and a second lens assembly 1908 of another camera(e.g., the third camera 146, FIG. 1D).

As shown in FIG. 19A, the second lens assembly 1908 is shorter than thatof the first lens assembly 1904. Accordingly, when positioned in thedevice (e.g., through the openings in the sensor region of the rearcover 1902), the first lens assembly 1904 extends a first distance intoits hole, while the second lens assembly 1908 extends a second distanceinto its hole, the second distance less than the first distance. Theterminal end of the second lens assembly 1908 is positioned furtherbelow the top surfaces of the cover windows 1906, 1912 (which may besubstantially co-planar) than the first lens assembly 1908.

In some cases, the second lens assembly 1908 is a wide angle lens (e.g.,having a 120° or greater field of view). As such, because the secondlens assembly 1908 is shorter (and/or is positioned more distant fromthe top surfaces of the covers 1906, 1912), if a cover 1912 over thesecond lens assembly 1908 were to have the same thickness as the cover1906, the second lens assembly 1908 may capture in its field of view aportion of the camera window trim 1911 that is attached to the rearcover 1902 and surrounds the opening of the second lens assembly 1908.This may produce undesirable artifacts in the images captured by thecamera or limit the usable field of view of the second lens assembly1908. Accordingly, the cover 1912 may be thicker than the cover 1906,despite having a top surface that is substantially co-planar or flushwith the top surface of the cover 1906. The co-planarity of the twocovers 1912 and 1906 may help to stabilize the device when the device isplaced (face up) on a surface such as a table. In particular, if one ofthe covers were higher than another, the device may wobble or tip backand forth on a surface due to having only two points of contact betweenthe device and the surface. By having both covers 1912, 1906 co-planar(e.g., protruding a same distance from the back cover of the device),the device may have three points of contact with the surface, therebyinhibiting tipping or wobbling on the surface.

The thickness of the cover 1912 may refract light entering the cover1906, as shown by ray trace 1914, such that the full field of view ofthe second lens assembly 1908 may be used without capturing the windowtrim 1911 in the frame. In this way, the exterior surfaces of the coverwindows 1906, 1912 may be substantially co-planar, while alsoaccommodating the different heights (or positions) of the lensassemblies in the device, and also using the full field of view of thewide-angle lens.

In some cases, the positioning of the camera window trim 1911 helpsreduce light interference from various sources. For example, the camerawindow trim 1911 may act as a lens hood to reduce flare from low-anglelight sources, strobe or flash output, or the like.

The cover 1906 may have a thickness between about 0.2 mm and about 0.5mm, while the cover 1912 may have a thickness between about 1.8 mm andabout 2.5 mm. The covers 1906 and 1912 may be formed from the samematerial or different materials. The covers 1906 and 1912 may be formedfrom sapphire, glass, polycarbonate, acrylic, or any other suitablematerial.

Devices as described herein may include rear covers that are formed froma transparent material such as glass. Further, the rear covers mayinclude a rear-facing sensor array region, in which rear-facing sensorssuch as cameras, depth sensors, microphones, or the like may bepositioned. The rear-facing sensor array region of a rear cover may be aportion of the rear cover that has a greater thickness than a mainportion of the rear cover. Further this region may define holes thatreceive and/or accommodate cameras, depth sensors, microphones, etc. Dueto the transition in thickness and the transparency of the material ofthe rear cover, a direct line of sight may exist from a user to thesensors or other components of the rear sensor array. For example, FIG.19B is a partial cross-sectional view of a device, through a portionthat includes a rear cover 1935 and a camera. The components andfeatures described with respect to FIG. 19B may be used in conjunctionwith any of the cameras described herein. The rear cover 1935 defines amain portion 1930 (defining a first surface), a sensor region portion1934 having a greater thickness than the main portion 1930 (and defininga second surface), and a transition region 1932 extending from the mainportion 1930 to the sensor region portion 1934. The transition region1932 may define a curved surface (or alternatively a flat surface) thatextends from and joins the first surface (of the main portion 1923) andthe second surface (of the sensor region portion 1934). Because the rearcover 1935 is formed of a transparent material (e.g., glass, sapphire,etc.), the transition region 1932 and/or the sensor region portion 1934may allow a line of sight into the device, and specifically towards thestructural components of or nearby a camera assembly.

FIG. 19B depicts an example configuration in which the visual paththrough the transition region 1932 and/or the sensor region portion 1934is blocked. In the example shown, a lens assembly 1920 of a camera ispositioned below a cover 1922. The cover 1922 is attached to a firsttrim ring 1924, which may be coupled to a second trim ring 1936. In somecases, a first sealing member 1926 (e.g., an O-ring) may be positionedbetween the first and second trim rings 1924, 1936, and a second sealingmember 1928 (e.g., an O-ring) may be positioned between the second trimring 1936 and the rear cover 1935. The first and second sealing members1926, 1928 may inhibit ingress of water, dust, or other contaminantsinto the device. Because the sealing member 1928 contacts the verticalwall of the rear cover 1935 (e.g., the wall that defines the hole forthe camera assembly), the sealing member 1928 may be visible through thetransition region 1932 and/or the sensor region portion 1934 of the rearcover 1935. Accordingly, the sealing member 1928 may have a color thatis the same as or similar to the color of the second trim ring 1936. Forexample, the sealing member 1928 and the second trim ring 1936 may bothbe black. Other colors are also contemplated for both of thesecomponents (e.g., silver, white, grey, etc.).

In order to block the line of sight into the device, the device mayinclude one or more blocking features. For example, as shown in FIG.19B, the second trim ring 1936 may define an extended wall portion 1938that extends from an exterior surface of the rear cover 1935 (e.g., theexterior surface of the raised sensor array region of the rear cover1935) to the interior surface 1942 of the rear cover 1935 (e.g., an endsurface of the extended wall 1938 is substantially flush with theinterior surface 1942 of the rear cover 1935). The extended wall 1938blocks the line of sight through the vertical wall (of the rear cover1935) that defines the hole, thus occluding the visibility of internalcomponents such as a frame structure 1944 (or, if the frame structure1944 were omitted, the lens assembly 1920 and/or other internalcomponents of the device). More particularly, the extended wall 1938blocks light that passes through the hole surface. The second trim ring1936 may also include a flange portion 1937 extending from the wall 1938and contacting the exterior surface of the raised sensor array region.The flange portion 1937 also defines an opening, in which a cover windowand optionally the first trim ring may be positioned.

An opaque mask 1940 may be included on at least a portion the interiorsurface 1942 of the rear cover 1935 to block the line of sight throughthe interior surface 1942. The opaque mask 1940 may be an ink, dye,film, paint, adhesive foam, or any other suitable material(s) thatocclude the visibility of internal components through the interiorsurface 1942. In some cases, the opaque mask 1940 is only applied to aregion of the interior surface 1942 that is proximate the camera hole(e.g., such that all or a substantial portion of the main portion 1930of the rear cover 1935 does not include the opaque mask 1940.

FIG. 19C depicts another example configuration in which the visual paththrough the transition region 1932 and/or the sensor region portion 1934is blocked. FIG. 19C includes numerous example techniques that may beused to reduce the visibility into the device through the rear cover,though not all of these example techniques are necessarily implementedin the same device. In the example shown in FIG. 19C, a lens assembly ofa camera may be positioned below a cover 1950. The cover 1950 isattached to a first trim ring 1952, which may be coupled to a secondtrim ring 1958. In some cases, a first sealing member 1954 (e.g., anO-ring) may be positioned between the first and second trim rings 1952,1958, and a second sealing member 1956 (e.g., an O-ring) may bepositioned between the second trim ring 1958 and the rear cover 1935.The first and second sealing members 1954, 1956 may inhibit ingress ofwater, dust, or other contaminants into the device.

Whereas the second trim ring 1936 in FIG. 19B had an extended wall thatblocked the line of sight through the vertical wall that defines thehole for the camera, the second trim ring 1958 in FIG. 19C does notextend fully to the interior surface. Accordingly, an opaque mask 1972may be included on at least a portion of the vertical wall (e.g., thesurface of the hole formed through the rear cover) to block the line ofsight through the vertical wall. The opaque mask 1972 may be an ink,dye, film, paint, adhesive foam, or any other suitable material(s) thatocclude the visibility of internal components through the vertical wall.In some cases, instead of or in addition to the opaque mask 1972, thevertical wall may have a surface treatment (e.g., a surface texture)that renders the vertical wall translucent. In some cases, a surfacetexture of the vertical wall is characterized by a surface roughnessvalue (R_(a)) of between about 1.5 microns and about 10 microns.

In some cases, instead of or in addition to the opaque mask 1972, abracket 1970 may be positioned along (and either contacting or set apartfrom) a portion of the vertical wall of the rear cover 1935 and at leasta portion of the interior surface of the rear cover 1935. The bracket1970 may block the line of sight through these portions of the rearcover 1935. The bracket 1970 may be formed from any suitable material(e.g., metal, polymer, etc.). The bracket 1970 may be opaque, and/or mayhave a color that reduces the noticeability of the bracket 1970 itself(e.g., a color that matches nearby components, a dark and/or matte colorthat absorbs light and hides or minimizes visible features, etc.). Thebracket 1970 may include an ink, dye, film, paint, or the like, toprovide the color. In some cases, the bracket 1970 is attached to one orboth of the vertical wall or the interior surface of the rear cover viaan adhesive.

In some cases, such as examples where the mask 1972 and/or the bracket1970 are not included, a mask 1968 may be positioned on an internalcomponent 1974 (e.g., a frame member) that may otherwise be visiblethrough the rear cover 1935. The internal component 1974 may define afirst portion extending along an interior surface of the rear cover, anda second portion extending at least partially into the hole in which thetrim rings and camera components are at least partially positioned. Insome cases, the second portion of the internal component 1974 may atleast partially overlap the wall portion of a trim ring. The mask 1968may be positioned along at least a portion of each of the first andsecond portions of the internal component 1974, and may be configured toreduce the visibility or noticeability of the component 1974 to whichthe mask 1968 is applied. The mask 1968 may be opaque, and/or may have acolor that reduces the noticeability of the component (e.g., a colorthat matches nearby components, a dark and/or matte color that absorbslight and hides or minimizes visible features, etc.). The mask 1968 maybe an ink, dye, film, paint, adhesive foam, or any other suitablematerial(s).

In some cases, an opaque mask 1966 may be included on at least a portionof the interior surface of the rear cover 1935 to block the line ofsight through the interior surface. The opaque mask 1966 may be an ink,dye, film, paint, adhesive foam, or any other suitable material(s) thatocclude the visibility of internal components through the interiorsurface. In some cases, the opaque mask 1966 is only applied to a regionof the rear cover 1935 that is proximate the camera hole (e.g., suchthat all or a substantial portion of the main portion 1930 of the rearcover 1935 does not include the opaque mask 1966.

In some cases, instead of or in addition to the techniques describedwith respect to FIGS. 19B and 19C for occluding the line of sight intothe device through the transition region 1932, the transition region1932 (and/or other portions of the rear cover) may include a surfacetexture that renders the exterior surface of the transition region 1932translucent. The surface texture may be formed using laser etching,chemical etching, abrasive blasting, grinding, or any other suitabletechnique.

FIGS. 19B-19C illustrate an example camera configuration that includestwo trim rings (e.g., first and second trim rings 1924, 1936 in FIG.19B, and first and second trim rings 1952 and 1958 in FIG. 19C). Whileother example camera systems shown herein may include only one trimpiece, it will be understood that the configurations shown in FIGS.19B-19C may be applied to any devices and/or cameras shown or describedherein.

As noted above, the devices described herein may include a flash (e.g.,a light source) that is configured to illuminate a scene to facilitatecapturing images with one or more cameras of the electronic device. Theflash, also referred to as a flash module or more broadly a lightsource, may include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) thatproduce the light to illuminate the scene. The flash module may be partof or positioned proximate a sensor array to facilitate illumination ofscenes for flash photography.

FIG. 20A illustrates a back view of a flash module 2000 (e.g., the sideof the flash module that faces the interior of the device) that may beused with the devices described herein. For example, the flash modulemay be part of the rear-facing sensor array of a device. The flashmodule 2000 may include a carrier 2001 and a circuit board 2002. Thecircuit board 2002 may be attached to the carrier 2001, and the carrier2001 may be secured to the device (e.g., in an opening or proximate awindow in a rear cover of the device).

The circuit board 2002 may include electrical contact pads 2004 and 2006arranged in a generally circular arrangement. For example, the circuitboard 2002 may include a set of first contact pads 2004 arranged in afirst generally circular arrangement (e.g., along a circle having afirst diameter), and a set of second contact pads 2006 arranged in asecond generally circular arrangement (e.g., along a circle having asecond diameter that is larger than the first diameter) and around theset of first contact pads 2004. The set of first contact pads 2004and/or the set of second contact pads 2006 may be spaced evenly abouttheir respective circles (e.g., having a same distance between any twoadjacent contact pads).

The set of first contact pads 2004 may be used to conductively couplethe LEDs (and/or other circuitry, processors, or other electricalcomponents) of the flash module 2000 to other circuitry and/orcomponents of a device. Thus, wires, traces, leads, or other conductiveelements may be soldered, welded, or otherwise conductively coupled tothe set of first contact pads 2004. The set of second contact pads 2006may also be conductively coupled to the LEDs (and/or other circuitry,processors, or other electrical components) of the flash module 2000,and may be provided to facilitate testing of the flash module withouthaving to make physical contact with the set of first contact pads 2004,thereby avoiding potential damage or contamination of the set of firstcontact pads 2004.

FIG. 20B is a partial cross-sectional view of the flash module 2000,viewed along line 20B-20B in FIG. 20A, showing an example integration ofthe circuit board 2002 with the carrier 2001. The carrier 2001 may be asingle unitary piece of light transmissive material, such as glass, alight-transmissive polymer, sapphire, or the like.

The carrier 2001 may define a ledge 2014, which may define a recess inwhich the circuit board 2002 is positioned. For example, the ledge 2014may be recessed relative to a back surface 2012 of the carrier 2001. Theledge 2014 may be recessed from the back surface 2012 a distance that issubstantially equal to the thickness of the circuit board 2002 or isotherwise configured based on a dimension of the circuit board 2002 suchthat the back of the circuit board 2002 is flush with or recessedrelative to the back surface 2012 of the carrier 2001. The circuit board2002 may be attached to the carrier 2001 via an adhesive (e.g., betweenthe ledge 2014 and the circuit board 2002).

In some cases, a coating 2007, such as an ink, mask, dye, paint, film, avapor deposition coating (e.g., chemical or plasma vapor deposition), orthe like, may be applied to the back surface 2012. In some cases, thecoating 2007 is an opaque white coating. In other cases, the coating2007 is a mirror-like reflective coating (e.g., a silver PVD or CVDcoating). The coating 2007 may prevent or limit the visibility ofinternal components of a device through the material of the carrier2001, and may help avoid the presence of a black or dark ring-likeappearance around the perimeter of the flash module 2000 (e.g., when theexternal-facing surface of the flash module 2000 is viewed when theflash module 2000 is integrated with a device).

FIG. 20B also shows light emitting elements 2008 and 2010 (e.g., LEDs)attached to the circuit board 2002 and configured to emit lightdownward, towards a lens portion 2016 of the carrier 2001. The lensportion 2016 may be or define a Fresnel lens (or other type of lens)that focuses, diffuses, or otherwise changes the light to produce adesired spread or illumination angle. The lens portion 2016 may beintegrally formed into the carrier 2001 (e.g., the material of thecarrier 2001 may define the lens portion 2016). In some cases, the lensportion 2016 may be a separate element that is attached to the carrier2001.

The carrier 2001 may also define a recess 2018 in a sidewall to receivea compliant member 2020. The compliant member 2020 may be an O-ring (orother suitable compliant member) and may be configured to form anenvironmental seal between the carrier 2001 and part of the housing ofthe device in which it is integrated (e.g., the surfaces of a hole orrecess in a rear cover of a device).

FIG. 20C is a partial cross-sectional view of a flash module 2030,showing a view similar to that of FIG. 20B. The flash module 2030includes a differently configured carrier 2031 and compliant member2034. In particular, the carrier 2031 may define a shaped recess 2032 ina sidewall, and the shaped recess 2032 is configured to receive a shapedcompliant member 2034. The shaped compliant member 2034 may be molded inplace in the recess 2032. For example, a flowable material, such as apolymer material, may be introduced into the shaped recess 2032 andallowed to at least partially cure to form the compliant member 2034. Anexternal mold or other tool may surround the carrier 2031 during thepolymer introduction and/or injection process to form the shape of theexterior surfaces of the compliant member 2034.

The shaped compliant member 2034 (and the shaped recess 2032) may extendfurther into the sidewall of the carrier 2031 than the compliant member2020 and the recess 2018 in FIG. 20B. This configuration may allow thecompliant member 2034, which may be opaque, to occlude or otherwiseblock the appearance of the internal components of the flash module 2030and the internal components of a device more generally. For example, theshaped compliant member 2034 extends into the sidewall of the carrier2031 such that there is a distance 2027 between the end of the shapedcompliant member 2034 and the outer perimeter of the lens portion 2033of the carrier 2031. By contrast, as shown in FIG. 20B, the compliantmember 2020 may extend a shorter distance into the sidewall, resultingin a distance 2022 (which is greater than the distance 2027), therebypotentially allowing more visibility into the internals of the flashmodule and the device. The greater depth of the shaped recess 2032 andthe increased size and the contoured shape of the compliant member 2034may also result in a more dimensionally stable compliant member 2034that can stay in a desired position through greater forces anddeflections, as compared to an O-ring for example.

As with the carrier 2001, the carrier 2031 may be a single unitary pieceof light transmissive material, such as glass, a light-transmissivepolymer, sapphire, or the like. The flash module 2030 may also includethe circuit board 2002 and the light emitting elements 2008 and 2010(e.g., LEDs), and the circuit board 2002 may be attached to the carrier2031 in the same or similar manner as the flash module 2030.

FIG. 20D is a partial cross-sectional view of a flash module 2036,showing an example integration of the flash module 2036 into a rearcover 2037 of an electronic device. The flash module 2036 may bepositioned in a hole formed in a rear-facing sensor array defined by therear cover 2037. The flash module 2036 includes a circuit board 2038 andlight emitting elements 2039 (e.g., LEDs) attached to the circuit board2038 and configured to emit light downward, towards a carrier 2041. Thecarrier 2041 may define a lens portion, such as a Fresnel lens (or othertype of lens) that focuses, diffuses, or otherwise changes the light toproduce a desired spread or illumination angle. The carrier 2041 (andthe lens portion it defines) may be formed from a transparent materialsuch as glass, polymer, polycarbonate, acrylic, or the like.

The flash module 2036 may also include a trim piece 2040 that surroundsthe carrier 2041, and to which the carrier 2041 may be attached. Forexample, the carrier 2041 may be attached to the trim piece 2040 via anadhesive 2042. A sealing member 2044, such as an O-ring or othercompliant member, may be positioned at least partially in a recess inthe trim piece 2040, and may contact the trim piece 2040 and a surfaceof the rear cover 2037 that defines the hole in which the flash module2036 is positioned. The sealing member 2044 may form an environmentalseal between the trim piece 2040 and the rear cover 2037.

The trim piece 2040 may be opaque (e.g., it may be formed from an opaquematerial, or coated, painted, or otherwise treated to be opaque). Theopaque trim piece 2040 may inhibit or prevent light emitted by the lightemitting elements 2039 from entering the rear cover 2037, such asthrough the surfaces of the rear cover 2037 that define the hole inwhich the flash module 2036 is positioned. For example, light leakageinto the rear cover 2037 through the hole surfaces may leak out of therear cover 2037 near cameras or other light-sensitive components of therear-facing sensor array, which may interfere with the operation ofthose components. As one specific example, light leakage may causepictures captured by a rear-facing camera to have a hazy appearance thatreduces the quality of the pictures. As another example, rear-facingdepth sensors may not be able to properly make depth measurements due tothe interference from such light leaks. Accordingly, the opaque trimpiece 2040 may reduce or eliminate such light leakage. The trim piece2040 may be a metal, polymer, or any other suitable material.

As shown in FIG. 20D, an exterior surface 2035 of the carrier 2041 maybe recessed a distance 2043 relative to an exterior surface 2045 of therear cover 2037. The exterior surface 2065 of the trim piece 2040, whichis opaque, prevents light that is emitted from the recessed surface 2035from entering the rear cover 2037. Further, the angle of the exteriorsurface 2065 of the trim piece 2040 (which may have a conical shape) maydefine the pattern of illumination produced by the flash module 2036.The pattern of illumination may be configured to illuminate a particularfield of view that coincides with a target field of view of a camera ofthe rear-facing sensor array. The target field of view may be aparticular distance from a camera of the rear-facing sensor array, at aparticular magnification level for that camera.

FIG. 20E is a partial cross-sectional view of another example flashmodule 2046, showing an example integration of the flash module 2046into a rear cover 2047 of an electronic device. The flash module 2046may be positioned in a hole formed in a rear-facing sensor array definedby the rear cover 2047. The flash module 2046 includes a circuit board2048 and light emitting elements 2049 (e.g., LEDs) attached to thecircuit board 2048 and configured to emit light downward, towards acarrier portion 2051. The carrier portion 2051 may define a lens, suchas a Fresnel lens (or other type of lens) that focuses, diffuses, orotherwise changes the light to produce a desired spread or illuminationangle. The carrier portion 2051 (and the lens portion it defines) may beformed from a transparent material such as glass, polymer,polycarbonate, acrylic, or the like.

The flash module 2046 may also include a trim portion 2050 thatsurrounds the carrier portion 2051. While the trim piece 2040 andcarrier 2041 in FIG. 20D were two separately manufactured componentsthat were attached together, the trim portion 2050 and the carrierportion 2051 in FIG. 20E may be manufactured using a two-shot moldingprocess. In particular, a first material (e.g., a transparent polymermaterial) may be introduced into a mold to form the carrier portion2051, and subsequently a second material (e.g., an opaque polymermaterial) may be introduced into the mold and against the first materialto form the trim portion 2050. The combination carrier portion and trimportion may then be removed from the mold as a single component. In somecases, the order in which the first and second materials are introducedinto the mold may be reversed. The first and second materials may bedifferent materials (e.g., different polymers), or they may betransparent and opaque versions of the same material. By forming thecarrier portion 2051 and trim portion 2050 as a single component,assembly time and complexity may be reduced relative to a multi-partassembly.

A sealing member 2054, such as an O-ring or other compliant member, maybe positioned at least partially in a recess in the trim portion 2050,and may contact the trim portion 2050 and a surface of the rear cover2047 that defines the hole in which the flash module 2046 is positioned.The sealing member 2054 may form an environmental seal between the trimportion 2050 and the rear cover 2047.

As noted above, the trim portion 2050 may be opaque. The opaque trimportion 2050 may inhibit or prevent light emitted by the light emittingelements 2049 from entering the rear cover 2047, such as through thesurfaces of the rear cover 2047 that define the hole in which the flashmodule 2046 is positioned. Accordingly, the opaque trim portion 2050 mayreduce or eliminate such light leakage.

As shown in FIG. 20E, an exterior surface 2055 of the carrier portion2051 may be recessed a distance 2053 relative to an exterior surface2052 of the rear cover 2047. The exterior surface 2076 of the trimportion 2050, which is opaque, prevents light that is emitted from therecessed surface 2055 from entering the rear cover 2037. Further, theangle of the exterior surface 2076 of the trim portion 2050 (which mayhave a conical shape) may define the pattern of illumination produced bythe flash module 2046. The pattern of illumination may be configured toilluminate a particular field of view that coincides with a target fieldof view of a camera of the rear-facing sensor array. The target field ofview may be a particular distance from a camera of the rear-facingsensor array, at a particular magnification level for that camera.

FIG. 20F is a partial cross-sectional view of another flash module 2056,showing an example integration of the flash module 2056 into a rearcover 2057 of an electronic device. The flash module 2056 may bepositioned in a hole formed in a rear-facing sensor array defined by therear cover 2057. The flash module 2056 includes a circuit board 2058 andlight emitting elements 2059 (e.g., LEDs) attached to the circuit board2058 and configured to emit light downward, towards a carrier 2061. Thecarrier 2061 may define a lens portion, such as a Fresnel lens (or othertype of lens) that focuses, diffuses, or otherwise changes the light toproduce a desired spread or illumination angle. The carrier 2061 (andthe lens portion it defines) may be formed from a transparent materialsuch as glass, polymer, polycarbonate, acrylic, or the like.

The flash module 2056 may also include a trim piece 2060 that surroundsthe carrier 2061, and to which the carrier 2061 may be attached. Forexample, the carrier 2061 may be attached to the trim piece 2060 via anadhesive. A sealing member 2064, such as an O-ring or other compliantmember, may be positioned at least partially in a recess in the trimpiece 2060, and may contact the trim piece 2060 and a surface of therear cover 2057 that defines the hole in which the flash module 2056 ispositioned. The sealing member 2064 may form an environmental sealbetween the trim piece 2060 and the rear cover 2057.

The trim piece 2060 may be opaque (e.g., it may be formed from an opaquematerial, or coated, painted, or otherwise treated to be opaque). Theopaque trim piece 2060 may inhibit or prevent light emitted by the lightemitting elements 2059 from entering the rear cover 2057, such asthrough the surfaces of the rear cover 2057 that define the hole inwhich the flash module 2056 is positioned. For example, light leakageinto the rear cover 2057 through the hole surfaces may leak out of therear cover 2057 near cameras or other light-sensitive components of therear-facing sensor array, which may interfere with the operation ofthose components. Accordingly, the opaque trim piece 2060 may reduce oreliminate such light leakage. The trim piece 2060 may be a metal,polymer, or any other suitable material.

The flash module 2056 also includes a cover 2062 positioned over theexterior surface of the carrier 2061 and defining an exterior surface ofthe device. The cover 2062 may be formed from glass, sapphire, a polymer(e.g., polycarbonate, acrylic), or the like. The cover 2062 may beattached to the trim piece 2060 via an adhesive 2063. The cover may helpprevent liquid, debris, or other materials from becoming caught in therecess defined by the exterior surface of the carrier 2061 and the wallsof the trim piece 2060. In some cases, the adhesive 2063 is an opaqueadhesive that hides the trim piece 2060 from view through the cover2062. In other cases, an opaque material (e.g., an ink, dye, paint,film, layer, etc.) is applied to the adhesive 2063, the trim piece 2060,and/or the cover 2062 to block the trim piece 2060.

FIG. 20G is a partial cross-sectional view of another example flashmodule 2066, showing an example integration of the flash module 2066into a rear cover 2067 of an electronic device. The flash module 2066may be positioned in a hole formed in a rear-facing sensor array definedby the rear cover 2067. The flash module 2066 includes a circuit board2068 and light emitting elements 2069 (e.g., LEDs) attached to thecircuit board 2068 and configured to emit light downward, towards acarrier portion 2071. The carrier portion 2071 may define a lens, suchas a Fresnel lens (or other type of lens) that focuses, diffuses, orotherwise changes the light to produce a desired spread or illuminationangle. The carrier portion 2071 (and the lens portion it defines) may beformed from a transparent material such as glass, polymer,polycarbonate, acrylic, or the like.

The flash module 2066 may also include a trim portion 2070 thatsurrounds the carrier portion 2071. Similar to the trim portion 2050 andthe carrier portion 2051 in FIG. 20E, the trim portion 2070 and thecarrier portion 2071 may be manufactured using a two-shot moldingprocess. In particular, a first material (e.g., a transparent polymermaterial) may be introduced into a mold to form the carrier portion2071, and subsequently a second material (e.g., an opaque polymermaterial) may be introduced into the mold and against the first materialto form the trim portion 2070. The combination carrier portion and trimportion may then be removed from the mold as a single component. In somecases, the order in which the first and second materials are introducedinto the mold may be reversed. The first and second materials may bedifferent materials (e.g., different polymers), or they may betransparent and opaque versions of the same material. By forming thecarrier portion 2071 and trim portion 2070 as a single component,assembly time and complexity may be reduced relative to a multi-partassembly.

A sealing member 2074, such as an O-ring or other compliant member, maybe positioned at least partially in a recess in the trim portion 2070,and may contact the trim portion 2070 and a surface of the rear cover2067 that defines the hole in which the flash module 2066 is positioned.The sealing member 2074 may form an environmental seal between the trimportion 2070 and the rear cover 2067.

As noted above, the trim portion 2070 may be opaque. The opaque trimportion 2070 may inhibit or prevent light emitted by the light emittingelements 2069 from entering the rear cover 2067, such as through thesurfaces of the rear cover 2067 that define the hole in which the flashmodule 2066 is positioned. Accordingly, the opaque trim portion 2070 mayreduce or eliminate such light leakage.

As described herein, devices such as mobile phones may include logicboards, which may include processors, memory, and other electricalcircuitry that control the device and/or portions of the device. FIG.21A depicts an example logic board 2100 for a device. The logic board2100 may correspond to or be an embodiment of the logic board 220, 320,or any other logic board described herein.

The logic board 2100 includes a first substrate 2102 and a secondsubstrate 2104 supported above the first substrate 2102. The first andsecond substrates 2102, 2104 may also be referred to as circuit boards.Electrical components and/or circuit elements such as processors,memory, antenna circuitry, and the like, may be coupled to the firstand/or the second substrates 2102, 2104.

The first and second substrates 2102, 2104 may be connected to oneanother via a wall structure 2106 (which supports the second substrate2104 above the first substrate 2102). As described herein the first andsecond substrates 2102, 2104 may be soldered to conductive members(e.g., vias) in the wall structure 2106, thereby allowing components onthe first and second substrates 2102, 2104 to be conductively coupled toone another via the wall structure 2106. The wall structure 2106 mayalso surround electrical components (e.g., a processor) and, along withthe first and second substrates 2102, 2104, define a substantiallyenclosed and optionally sealed internal volume in which the processor(and/or other components) may be protected.

The logic board 2100 may be structurally mounted to a housing member orother structure of a device to secure the logic board 2100. Tofacilitate the structural mounting, the logic board 2100 may include atab portion 2108 of an attachment member 2107, which may be attached toa post (e.g., the post 2114, FIG. 21B) or other structural component(e.g., via a fastener extending through a hole in the tab portion). Thelogic board 2100 may also include a notch region 2113 that exposes thefirst substrate 2102 so that a fastener may secure the logic board to apost or other structural component via the first substrate 2102.

The logic board 2100 may also act as a structural mounting point forother components of the device. Accordingly, mounting features may beprovided on the logic board 2100 for both mounting the logic board 2100to other components and for mounting other components to the logicboard. For example, FIG. 21A shows a mounting stud 2110 attached to thesecond substrate 2104, and a tab portion 2108 extending from a side ofthe logic board 2100. As described herein, the mounting stud 2110 may beused to secure another component to the logic board 2100, while the tabportion 2108 is used to secure the logic board 2100 to a housingstructure or other component of a device.

FIG. 21B illustrates a side (and partially cut-away) view of a portionof the logic board 2100, showing example configurations for the mountingstud 2110 and the tab portion 2108. The mounting stud 2110 may beattached to a top surface of the second substrate 2104. The mountingstud 2110 may be attached to the second substrate 2104 via a soldering,welding, adhesive, or the like. Notably, the mounting stud 2110 does notextend into or through the second substrate 2104. In this way, themounting stud 2110 does not impart any clamping, compression, or othersuch forces to the logic board. For example, in other implementations, amounting point was provided by a fastener that extended through both thefirst and second substrates and was secured to the logic board with aclamping force. The mounting stud 2110 shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B, bycontrast, provides a mounting point without imparting a compressivestress on the substrates, thereby reducing the risk of potential damageto the logic board due to over-tightening or otherwise generallyconstricting the logic board.

FIG. 21B also illustrates an example configuration of an attachmentmember 2107 that may be used to attach the logic board 2100 to thedevice. For example, FIG. 21B shows the tab portion 2108 secured to apost 2114 with a fastener (e.g., a screw) 2115 extending through a holein the tab portion 2108. The post may be secured to or part of asubstrate 2112, which may be a chassis (e.g., the chassis 219, 319) orany other suitable structure of a device. The tab portion 2108 may beattached to the logic board (e.g., to the first substrate 2102) via amounting portion 2109. The mounting portion 2109 may be attached to thefirst substrate 2102 in any suitable way, including soldering, welding,adhesives, or the like. The tab portion 2108 may provide a degree ofcompliance to the physical coupling of the logic board 2100 to thedevice. For example, the material of the tab portion 2108 (and mountingportion 2109 where those components are unitary) may be more resilientor flexible than the substrates themselves. Further, the shapes,dimensions, curvatures, thicknesses, and material properties of the tabportion 2108 may be selected to provide a target degree of complianceand/or flexibility. Accordingly, the tab portion 2108 may flex to reducethe effects of forces (e.g., shock loading) on the logic board 2100 dueto drop events, impacts, or other forceful events to which the devicemay be subjected.

FIG. 21C illustrates another example configuration of an attachmentmember 2105 with a mounting portion 2124 and a tab portion 2122 that maybe used to secure the logic board 2100 to the device. While the tabportion 2108 and the mounting portion 2109 in FIG. 21B are differentportions of a unitary structure with a substantially uniform thickness(e.g., a stamped metal attachment member), the unitary structuredefining the tab portion 2122 and mounting portion 2124 of theattachment member 2105 may have a variable thickness. For example, themounting portion 2124 may have a first thickness, the tab portion 2122may have a second thickness different from the first thickness, and ajoining portion 2126 may have a third thickness that is different fromthe first and second thicknesses. The particular thicknesses of themounting portion 2124, tab portion 2122, and joining portion 2126 may beconfigured to provide target strength and flexibility parameters. Forexample, the joining portion 2126 may be thinner than the mountingportion 2124 and tab portion 2122 to provide increased flexibilityand/or compliance, while the mounting portion 2124 and tab portion 2122may be thicker to provider greater rigidity and strength. The greaterflexibility of the joining portion 2126 may help reduce the effects offorces (e.g., shock loading) on the logic board 2100 due to drop events,impacts, or other forceful events to which a device may be subjected,while the thicker mounting portion 2124 provides greater strength andstiffness to the first substrate 2102. The thicker (and stiffer)mounting portion 2124 also may improve the reliability of the bondbetween the mounting portion 2124 and the first substrate 2102 byensuring that loads are evenly distributed throughout the bonding regionbetween the mounting portion 2124 and the first substrate 2102. Thethicker (and stronger) tab portion 2122 may provide greater strength tohelp resist breaking or other damage. The variable-thickness attachmentmember 2105 may be formed by forging, molding, welding multiple layerstogether, or the like.

FIG. 21D illustrates another example technique for providing a mountingpoint on the logic board 2100 without imparting unwanted compressiveforces onto the substrates 2102, 2104 and/or the wall structure 2106. Inparticular, a fastener assembly 2119 may be configured to retain thefirst substrate to the second substrate and may include a first fastenerelement, such as a flanged nut 2116, and a second fastener element, suchas a fastener 2118. A barrel portion of the flanged nut 2116 may bepositioned in holes formed through the first and second substrates 2102,2104 and the wall structure 2106, while a flange portion of the flangednut 2116 contacts an outer (e.g., bottom) surface of the secondsubstrate 2104. The holes through the first and second substrates 2102,2104 and the wall structure 2106 may be aligned (e.g., having collinearcylindrical axes) and may have a same inner diameter. Because the barrelportion of the flanged nut 2116 extends through the holes in the firstand second substrates 2102, 2104 and the wall structure 2106, lateralmotion (e.g., parallel to the outer surfaces of the substrates 2102,2104) may be inhibited.

The flanged nut 2116 may have a height that is greater than thethickness of the combined first and second substrates 2102, 2104 and thewall structure 2106. That is, a top portion of the barrel of the flangednut 2116 may extend above the top surface of the second substrate 2104,such that a flange portion of the fastener 2118, when secured to theflanged nut 2116, does not compress (or in some cases contact) thesecond substrate 2104. In some cases, the flanged nut 2116 may have aheight that is equal to the thickness of the combined first and secondsubstrates 2102, 2104 and the wall structure 2106.

The flange portion of the fastener 2118 may be seated against the endsurface of the barrel of the flanged nut 2116. In cases where the endsurface of the barrel portion extends past the outer surface of thefirst substrate 2102, the flange of the fastener 2118 does not contactthe outer surface of the first substrate 2102, and does not compress thelogic board.

In cases where the end surface of the barrel portion is flush with theouter surface of the first substrate, the flange portion of the fastener2118 may contact the surface of the first substrate 2102 but notcompress it (e.g., not apply a force to the logic board beyond athreshold (e.g., an incidental or nominal) amount). Stated another way,the distance between a contact surface of the flange portion of theflanged nut 2116 and a contact surface of the flange portion of thefastener 2118, when the fastener 2118 is secured to the flanged nut2116, is equal to a distance from the outer surface of the firstsubstrate 2102 to the outer surface of the second substrate 2104.

The fastener 2118 may define a receptacle 2117, which may be threaded,for receiving another fastener 2121 to secure a component (e.g., a metalshroud 2123, or another component) to the logic board 2100. Accordingly,a mounting point may be provided on the logic board 2100 withoutintroducing a compressive stress on the logic board. In theimplementation shown in FIG. 21D, a mounting portion 2111 may beconfigured so that it is not captured between the flanged nut 2116 andthe first substrate 2102. In some cases, the fastener 2118 does not havethe receptacle 2117.

FIG. 21E depicts the notch region 2113 of the logic board 2100,illustrating how a compliant fastening system may be used to secure thelogic board 2100 to a device. The notch region 2113 may be defined by arecess in the wall structure 2106 and the second substrate 2104. Thenotch region exposes a portion of the first substrate 2102, and acompliant brace 2130 may be mounted to an upper surface of the firstsubstrate 2102. More particularly, base plates 2132 of the compliantbrace 2130 may be mounted to the upper surface of the first substrate2102, such as via soldering, welding, adhesives, fasteners, or the like(as shown by attachment element 2142, which may be solder, an adhesive,a weldment, etc.). A reinforcement plate 2139 may be attached to abottom surface of the first substrate 2102. The compliant brace 2130 maybe a unitary structure formed of metal or any other suitable material.

A fastener 2136, such as a threaded screw or bolt, may extend through ahole in the compliant brace 2130, through a hole or cutaway in the firstsubstrate 2102, and through a hole in the reinforcement plate 2139, andmay be coupled to a mounting feature such as a mounting boss 2140 (FIG.21F) to secure the logic board 2100 to the device. FIG. 21F is a partialcross-sectional view of the notch region 2113, and shows the fastener2136 secured to the mounting boss 2140, which is in turn attached to acomponent 2144 (which may be a housing component, rear cover, framemember, or any other structural component of a device). With referenceto both FIGS. 21E and 21F, the compliant brace 2130 is configured toallow the logic board 2100 to deflect upwards (as shown in FIG. 21F)during drop events, impacts, or other forceful events to which thedevice may be subjected. For example, the loop portions 2134 and the topbeam portion 2131 of the compliant brace 2130 may be configured todeflect, bend, or otherwise deform such that the first substrate 2102(and thus the whole logic board 2100) can move in at least onedirection. For example, in response to a first force (e.g., a forceperpendicular to the main plane of the logic board 2100), the compliantbrace may deflect to allow upwards movement of the logic board 2100 suchthat the reinforcing plate 2139 temporarily lifts off of the mountingboss 2140. In this way, a degree of compliance and suspension may beprovided to the logic board 2100, which may reduce the magnitude and/oreffect of shock loading or other potentially detrimental forces on thelogic board 2100. In some cases, the compliant brace also deflects,bends, or otherwise deforms to allow the logic board 2100 to move in asecond direction, such as a lateral direction (e.g., left-to-right inFIG. 21F) in response to a second force (e.g., a force that is parallelto the main plane of the logic board 2100). In some cases, the mountingboss 2140 inhibits downward movement of the logic board 2100.

In some cases, the compliant brace 2130 is configured to be in astressed condition when in a static condition, such as that shown inFIG. 21F. For example, when the fastener 2136 is threaded into themounting boss 2140, the fastener 2136 may slightly deform (e.g.,compress) the compliant brace 2130. In this way, the compliant brace2130 may decouple the attachment force between the fastener 2136 and themounting boss 2140 from the amount of force applied to the logic board2100. For example, the compliant brace 2130 may be clamped rigidlybetween the fastener 2136 and the mounting boss 2140 with a relativelyhigh degree of clamping force to ensure that the logic board 2100remains securely attached to the device. However, that amount ofclamping force, if applied directly to the first substrate 2102 forexample, may crush or unduly stress the first substrate 2102.Accordingly, the compliant brace 2130 does not transfer all of theclamping load directly to the first substrate 2102. Rather, the onlyforce applied directly to the first substrate 2102 is that which resultsfrom any bending or compression of the compliant brace 2130 (as definedby the shape of the compliant brace 2130, the mounting boss 2140, andthe thickness of the first substrate 2102 and the reinforcing plate2139, for example). In this way, the logic board 2100 may be secured tothe housing with a high degree of security (e.g., due to the clampingforce on the compliant brace 2130, while still providing a high degreeof compliance and a relatively low force applied directly to the firstsubstrate 2102.

In some cases, the compliant brace 2130 provides an electrical groundpath between the logic board 2100 and a ground plane of the device. Forexample, the base plates 2132 of the compliant brace 2130 may besoldered to grounding solder pads on the first substrate 2102, and thecompliant brace 2130, fastener 2136, and mounting boss 2140 may define aconductive path to an electrical ground plane of the device. In somecases, the downwards bias produced by the compliant brace 2130 on thelogic board 2100 helps force the logic board 2100 against an electricalground plane (e.g., by biasing conductive grounding contacts against oneanother).

FIG. 21G illustrates another example logic board 2150. The featuresdescribed with respect to the logic board 2150 may be included in anyother logic board described herein.

The logic board 2150 includes a first substrate 2152 and a secondsubstrate 2154 supported above the first substrate 2152. The first andsecond substrates 2152, 2154 may also be referred to as circuit boards.Electrical components and/or circuit elements such as processors,memory, antenna circuitry, and the like, may be coupled to the firstand/or the second substrates 2152, 2154.

The first and second substrates 2152, 2154 may be connected to oneanother via a wall structure 2156 (which supports the second substrate2154 above the first substrate 2152). As described herein the first andsecond substrates 2152, 2154 may be soldered to conductive members(e.g., vias) in the wall structure 2156, thereby allowing components onthe first and second substrates 2152, 2154 to be conductively coupled toone another via the wall structure 2156. The wall structure 2156 mayalso surround electrical components (e.g., a processor) and, along withthe first and second substrates 2152, 2154, define a substantiallyenclosed and optionally sealed internal volume in which the processor(and/or other components) may be protected.

The logic board 2150 may be structurally mounted to a housing member orother structure of a device to secure the logic board 2150. In somecases, the logic board 2150 uses the same or similar mounting techniquesas those described above with respect to the logic board 2100.

The logic board 2150 may include an alignment feature 2160. Thealignment feature may be defined by recesses formed along an exteriorside of each of the first and second substrates 2152, 2154 and the wallstructure 2156. The recesses may have the same size and shape, such thata single recess is defined along the side of the logic board 2150. Thealignment feature 2160 may be used when assembling the logic board 2150.For example, a pin, rod, or other alignment tool may be positioned inthe alignment feature 2160 and the alignment tool and the first andsecond substrates 2152, 2154 and the wall structure 2156 may be forcedagainst each other with an alignment force. The alignment force mayforce the first and second substrates 2152, 2154 and the wall structure2156 into contact with the alignment tool, thereby causing the recessesin the first and second substrates 2152, 2154 and the wall structure2156 to become aligned, which, in turn, causes the first and secondsubstrates 2152, 2154 and the wall structure 2156 to be aligned. Oncealigned and retained in position by the alignment tool, the first andsecond substrates 2152, 2154 and the wall structure 2156 may be attachedtogether, such as via soldering. In some cases, the alignment tool has acomplementary shape and size as the recesses of the alignment feature2160.

In some cases, additional alignment features are also provided on thelogic board 2150, such as through-holes extending through the first andsecond substrates 2152, 2154 and the wall structure 2156 and configuredto receive a rod or pin therein for alignment purposes. By forming thealignment feature 2160 along an outer or exterior edge of the logicboard 2150, the space requirement for the alignment feature 2160 may beless than the space requirement for through-holes, thereby allowing formore compact construction of the logic board 2150 and/or allowing morespace on the logic board 2150 for other components.

The logic board 2150 also includes a clamp 2161 that may be used to helpsecure the logic board 2150 to a device. FIG. 21I is a partialcross-sectional view of the logic board 2150, showing details of theclamp 2161. The clamp 2161 may include a base portion 2173 and a hookportion 2172 extending from the base portion 2173. The hook portion 2172hooks over the top of the second substrate 2154 and applies a clampingforce to the second substrate 2154. A fastener 2162, such as a screw,may extend through a hole in the base portion 2173 and be anchored to aboss 2171 or other feature below the logic board 2150. The boss 2171 maybe attached to a structure of the electronic device, such as a chassisas described herein. The fastener 2162 may apply a downward force on thebase portion 2173, which in turn results in the hook portion 2172applying the clamping force. The clamping force thus helps retain thelogic board 2150 to the device.

In some cases, the logic board 2150 includes a shroud component 2163 onthe top of the second substrate 2154. The shroud component 2163 may bean EMF shield or other protective structure over a component (e.g., aprocessor) that is coupled to the second substrate 2154. The shroudcomponent may be formed of metal, plastic, or any other suitablematerial, and may define a lip structure 2170 that engages or otherwiseoverlaps the hook portion 2172 of the clamp 2161. The lip structure 2170may prevent or inhibit movement of the hook portion 2172 to maintain thehook portion 2172 in place (e.g., and prevent or inhibit the hookportion 2172 from slipping off of the top surface of the secondsubstrate 2154). In some cases, the shroud component 2163 may beomitted, and a lip or other retention feature (e.g., channel, groove,bump, etc.) may be defined by another component, such as a solder pad onthe second substrate 2154, the second substrate itself, a screw or otherfastener, or the like.

FIG. 21H illustrates a detail view of a portion of the logic board 2150,illustrating example techniques for securing the first and secondsubstrates 2152, 2154 and the wall structure 2156 together. For example,the wall structure 2156 may include vias 2167 and the first and secondsubstrates 2152, 2154 may include solder pads (represented by circles2165) that are soldered to the vias 2167 to secure the first and secondsubstrates 2152, 2154 and the wall structure 2156 together. The solderpads may include a first set of uniformly shaped solder pads 2165, eachhaving the same shape (e.g., circles as shown in FIG. 21H, though othershapes are also contemplated). In some cases, each solder pad 2165 mayhave a size, shape, and location such that it encompasses (and isultimately soldered to) a certain number of vias 2167 (e.g., 3 vias, 4vias, or any other suitable amount). The solder pads may also includeone or more solder pads having a different shape than the first set ofuniformly shaped solder pads 2165. For example, the solder pad 2166 mayhave an irregular shape that encompasses (and is ultimately soldered to)a greater number of vias 2167 than the solder pads 2165 of the first setof solder pads (e.g., if the solder pads 2165 encompass three vias, thesolder pad 2166 may encompass 4 or more vias).

In some cases, the first and second substrates 2152, 2154 each include acomplementary set of matching solder pads (e.g., the solder pads shownin FIG. 21H may be present on both the first and second substrates 2152,2154).

In some cases, an underfill material 2169 may be introduced between thesubstrates and the wall structure and allowed to harden or cure to bondthe substrates to the wall structure and/or reinforce the solder jointsbetween the sub states and the wall structure. The underfill material2169 may be an adhesive, epoxy, or any other suitable material. Theunderfill material 2169 may be introduced between a substrate and thewall structure 2156 after the substrate is soldered to the wallstructure. The underfill material 2169 may flow or wick into the spacebetween the substrate and the wall structure, and thereafter harden inplace. In some cases, the logic board 2150 includes one or more featuresthat help contain and/or guide the underfill material 2169 into thetarget areas between a substrate and the wall structure. For example, apad 2164, which may be a solder pad or a reinforcement plate on thefirst substrate 2152, may act as a barrier wall to retain the underfillmaterial 2169 during and after it is flowed below the wall structure2156 and while it hardens. In some cases, the pad 2164 may cause theunderfill material 2169 to build up along an outer side of the wallstructure 2156, forming a fillet of underfill material 2169 at thecorner interface between the wall structure 2156 and the first substrate2152. Stated another way, the underfill material 2169 may extend partway up the outer surface of the wall structure to a height that ishigher than the gap between the first substrate 2152 and the wallstructure 2156. By contrast, without the pad 2164, the underfillmaterial 2169 might have a maximum height that is equal to the gapbetween the first substrate 2152 and the wall structure 2156, therebyproviding less reinforcement to the interface between the firstsubstrate 2152 and the wall structure 2156. In some cases, other flowcontrol features 2168 may provide a similar functionality along anotherside of the wall structure (e.g., inside the internal volume defined bythe logic board 2150). The flow control features 2168 may be formed fromany suitable material, such as solder, plastic, adhesive, or the like,and may serve the same or similar function as the pad 2164. Flow controlfeatures such as the features 2168 and the pad 2164 may be used invarious locations on the logic board 2150 to help guide and/or controlthe location of the underfill material. Further, such flow controlfeatures may be used between the first substrate 2152 and the wallstructure 2156, and between the second substrate 2154 and the wallstructure 2156

FIG. 22A depicts a partial exploded view of a device 2200, illustratinga battery 2202 separated from a rear cover 2204 (or other housingstructure to which the battery may otherwise be coupled. The device 2200may include an array of magnetic elements 2206 that are arranged in acircular or radial pattern. The magnetic elements 2206 may help tolocate the device 2200 with respect to a separate wireless chargingdevice or other accessory. In some implementations, the array of magnetsalso help to radially locate, orient, or “clock” the device 2200 withrespect to the separate wireless charging device or other accessory.This functionality may be described as self-aligning or self-locatingwireless charging. As shown in FIG. 22A, the device 2200 may alsoinclude a magnetic fiducial 2208 for helping to locate the separatewireless charging device or accessory. The device may also include acoil 2210 that inductively couples to an output or transmitting coil ofa wireless charger. The coil 2210 may provide current to the device 2200to charge the battery 2202 and/or power the device. The coil 2210 mayinclude multiple wraps of a conductive wire or other conduit that isconfigured to produce a (charging) current in response to being placedin an inductive charging electromagnetic field produced by a separatewireless charging device or accessory. The battery 2202 may bepositioned over the charging coil 2210 and attached to the housing. Theareas where the battery 2202 and the charging coil 2210 overlap may bereferred to as an overlap region.

The battery 2202 may be attached to the rear cover 2204 in various ways,including using adhesives, fasteners, mechanical interlocks, etc. Theattachment of the battery 2202 to the rear cover 2204 needs to besufficiently secure so that the battery does not become detached fromthe rear cover 2204 during use of the device. However, it may also beadvantageous to allow the battery 2202 to be removed from the device forrepairs, replacement, or the like. Further, due to components that arepositioned under the battery 2202, such as the array of magneticelements 2206 (also referred to as magnets 2206) and the coil 2210, thelocations and areas that can be used to fasten the battery 2202 to therear cover 2204 may be limited. For example, in some cases, adhesivesmay not be used on the magnets 2206 or the coil 2210, as the surfaces ofthose components may not be suited for bonding to adhesives, and/or itmay risk damaging those components.

FIG. 22B depicts an example arrangement of adhesives that may be used toattach the battery 2202 to the rear cover 2204. In particular, first,second, and third adhesive structures 2212, 2214, and 2216 may bepositioned between the battery 2202 and the rear cover 2204 to adherethe battery 2202 to the rear cover 2204. The adhesive structures 2212,2214, and 2216 may be positioned between the battery 2202 and the rearcover 2204 in coupling regions outside of the outer periphery of thecoil 2210 (e.g., outside of the overlap region and between the battery2202 and the rear cover 2204), the magnets 2206, and the magneticfiducial 2208, such that the adhesive structures can bond to the rearcover 2204 without contacting the coil 2210, the magnets 2206, and themagnetic fiducial 2208. As shown, the adhesive structures 2212, 2214,and 2216 may conform to a shape of the array of magnets 2206 (e.g., theymay have a curved edge that conforms to or follows the curved outerperiphery of the array of magnets 2206) to increase the surface areacovered by the adhesive structures 2212, 2214, and 2216, withoutcontacting the magnets 2206.

FIG. 22C is a partial cross-sectional view of the device 2200, viewedalong line 22C-22C in FIG. 22B, illustrating an example configuration ofan adhesive structure (e.g., the adhesive structure 2216) for use inadhering a battery to a rear cover. As noted above, it may beadvantageous to adhere a battery to a rear cover (or other housingstructure) such that the battery can be removed for replacement, repair,or the like, without permanently damaging the battery or the rear cover.Accordingly, a releasable adhesive, such as a stretch-release adhesive,may be used to adhere the battery to the rear cover. In some cases,however, a releasable adhesive may not bond equally well to the rearcover and the battery. In particular, the material used to form theouter surface of a battery 2202 may form a weaker bond with thereleasable adhesive than the rear cover 2204. Accordingly, a multi-layerstructure may be used to produce a greater attachment force between thebattery and the housing, while still facilitating the use of areleasable adhesive. For example, the multi-layer structure shown inFIG. 22C includes a first adhesive 2212, which may be a permanent ornon-releasable adhesive, that adheres a polymer layer 2213 to thebattery 2202. The first adhesive 2212 may be an adhesive that forms astrong bond with both the battery 2202 (e.g., the material that formsthe pouch of the battery 2202) and the polymer layer 2213. The polymerlayer 2213 may be any suitable material, such as a polyimide sheet.

The multi-layer structure may also include a releasable adhesive 2216that is adhered to both the polymer layer 2213 and the rear cover 2204.The releasable adhesive 2216 may form a strong bond with both thepolymer layer 2213 and the rear cover 2204. In some cases, the strengthof each adhesive bond in the multi-layer structure is greater than anadhesive bond between the releasable adhesive 2216 and the battery 2202.In this way, the benefits of the releasable adhesive are provided (e.g.,the ability to non-destructively remove the battery 2202 from the rearcover 2204) without compromising on the ultimate bond strength betweenthe battery 2202 and the rear cover 2204. The adhesives 2212, 2216 maybe films, sheets, liquids, or the like. Further, while FIG. 22Cillustrates an example multi-layer structure, in some cases a singleadhesive layer is used to adhere the battery 2202 to the rear cover2204.

FIG. 22D depicts another example arrangement of adhesives that may beused to attach the battery 2202 to the rear cover 2204. Moreparticularly, FIG. 22D depicts an example in which multiple differenttypes of adhesives with different bonding strengths and releasabilityare used together. For example, first adhesive structures 2218-1 through2218-5 are a first adhesive (e.g., stretch-release adhesives) with afirst bond strength, and a second adhesive structure 2220 is a secondadhesive with a second bond strength higher than the first bondstrength. The first and second adhesive structures 2218, 2220 may bepositioned between the battery 2202 and the rear cover 2204 to adherethe battery 2202 to the rear cover 2204. While most of the firstadhesives structures are positioned in areas outside of the outerperiphery of the coil 2210, the magnets 2206, and the magnetic fiducial2208, at least one adhesive structure (e.g., adhesives structure 2218-5)may contact one or more magnets 2206. As shown, adhesive structures2218-1-2218-4 may conform to a shape of the array of magnets 2206 (e.g.,they may have a curved edge that conforms to or follows the curved outerperiphery of the array of magnets 2206) to increase the surface areacovered by the adhesive structures. The combination of differentadhesives with different adhesive strengths (and different abilities tobe removed or released) provides a balance of bond strength and ease ofreleasability. It should be noted that while an adhesive with a higherbond strength may be more difficult to remove or release than anadhesive with a lower bond strength, a higher bond strength adhesive maystill ultimately be removable, though complete removal may be moredifficult (and may in some cases be aided by the use of solvents, heat,or the like).

FIG. 22E depicts another example arrangement of adhesives that may beused to attach the battery 2202 to the rear cover 2204. Moreparticularly, FIG. 22E depicts an example in which multiple differenttypes of adhesives with different bonding strengths and releasabilityare used together. For example, first adhesive structures 2222-1 through2222-3 are a first adhesive (e.g., stretch-release adhesives) with afirst bond strength, and second adhesive structures 2224-1 through2224-4 are a second adhesive with a second bond strength higher than thefirst bond strength. The first and second adhesive structures 2222, 2224may be positioned between the battery 2202 and the rear cover 2204 toadhere the battery 2202 to the rear cover 2204. The arrangement ofadhesives shown in FIG. 22E includes an adhesive structure 2224-1positioned between the magnetic fiducial 2208, as well as an additionaladhesive structure 2224-2 positioned in a corner region of the battery2202, between a top of the array of magnets 2206 and a top edge of thebattery 2202. As described above, the combination of different adhesiveswith different adhesive strengths (and different abilities to be removedor released) provides a balance of bond strength and ease ofreleasability.

FIG. 22F depicts another example arrangement of adhesives that may beused to attach the battery 2202 to the rear cover 2204. Moreparticularly, FIG. 22F depicts an example in which a gap 2229 is definedin the array of magnets 2206 to provide an additional area for anadhesive. For example, the magnets 2206 in FIG. 22F are positioned in acircular array, with a gap 2229 defined between two of the magnets 2206at an area along a top of the array. The gap 2229 may be proximate a topedge of the battery 2202, such that the gap provides additional area forlocating an adhesive structure. This location for the gap 2229 may beparticularly advantageous because it allows adhesive to be positioned inthe upper left corner of the battery 2202 where there would be little orno space for adhesives if the array of magnets were continuous in thatarea. The adhesive structure 2226-3 is a unitary or single adhesivestructure that defines a first lobe 2228 and a second lobe 2230. Thesecond lobe 2230 follows a contour or shape of the outer perimeter ofthe array of magnets 2206, and is positioned at a top right region ofthe battery 2202. The first lobe 2228 extends into the gap 2229 in thearray of magnets 2206. For example, a first side of the first lobe 2228may be adjacent one of the magnets 2206, and a second side of the firstlobe 2228 may be adjacent another one of the magnets 2206. Thecombination of the gap 2229 in the array and the multi-lobe adhesivestructure 2226-3 results in adhesive being positioned alongsubstantially an entire top edge of the battery 2202.

In addition to the adhesive structure 2226-3, the example in FIG. 22Fincludes adhesive structures 2226-1 and 2226-2, which conform to a shapeof the array of magnets 2206 (e.g., they have a curved edge thatconforms to or follows the curved outer periphery of the array ofmagnets 2206) to increase the surface area covered by the adhesivestructures 2226 without contacting the magnets 2206. The adhesivestructures 2226-1 through 2226-3 may be any type of adhesive(s),including a releasable adhesive, a non-releasable adhesive, or the like.

FIGS. 22G and 22H depict a portion of an electronic device, illustratinga battery retention structure that may be used to retain a battery(e.g., the battery 2202) in place in a device. In particular, the deviceincludes a base plate 2232, which may be a housing component, rearcover, frame member, or any other structural component of a device. Insome cases, the base plate 2232 is attached to a rear cover of a device.The base plate 2232 may be metal, glass, polymer, or any other suitablematerial(s). A retention bracket 2233 (which may be or be an embodimentof the barrier wall 1740, FIG. 17A) may be attached to the base plate2232. For example, mounting pads 2234 of the retention bracket 2233 maybe attached to the base plate 2232 via welding, adhesives, fasteners, orthe like. The retention bracket 2233 defines underpasses 2235, alsoreferred to as a retention slot, and retention tabs 2238 of a retentionplate 2240 that is coupled to the battery 2202 (e.g., to a bottomsurface of the battery 2202) may extend into the underpasses 2235. Asdescribed herein, the engagement between the retention bracket 2233 andthe retention tabs 2238 (and the battery 2202 more broadly) helps retainthe battery 2202 in a fixed position in the device, and can help preventor inhibit battery movement during drops or other forceful events towhich a device may be subjected.

Each underpass 2235 may be defined between two mounting pads 2234, andbelow a biasing tab 2236. The mounting pads 2234, biasing tabs 2236, andthe bracket wall 2237 may be portions of a unitary component, such as asingle piece of metal, polymer, or the like.

When the retention tabs 2238 are positioned in the underpasses 2235 asshown in FIGS. 22G and 22H, the retention tabs 2238 may be held captivein multiple directions, thereby retaining the battery 2202 in a targetposition and/or location. More particularly, the biasing tabs 2236 mayprevent the retention tabs 2238, and thus the battery 2202, from movingin a z direction (e.g., into or out of the page, as shown in FIG. 22G).Similarly, the mounting pads 2234 may prevent the retention tabs 2238,and thus the battery 2202, from moving in an x direction (e.g., left orright, as shown in FIG. 22G). Further, the bracket wall 2237 may preventthe battery 2202 from moving in a positive y direction (e.g., upwards,as shown in FIG. 22G). Accordingly, the retention bracket 2233, alongwith the retention tabs 2238, may securely retain the battery 2202 inmultiple directions (and in some cases, all but one direction).

The particular shapes and overall configuration of the retention bracket2233 and the retention tabs 2238 may help maintain the battery 2202 in agiven position, and help reduce the likelihood of the battery 2202shifting or otherwise changing position. For example, the biasing tabs2236 may be biased downward against the retention tabs 2238, therebyincreasing the frictional force of the biasing tabs 2236 on theretention tabs 2238 and helping prevent unwanted movement of the battery2202, especially in the z and y directions of the device. Further, theretention tabs 2238 may be tapered (e.g., tapering from a first widthproximate the battery 2202 to a narrower width at a distal end of thetabs). The wider portion of the tabs may contact or be close to (e.g.,about 0.25 mm or less away from) the sides of the underpasses 2235. Inthis way, the amount that the battery 2202 may move in the x direction(e.g., left and right, as shown in FIG. 22G) is limited to the smallestdistance between the retention tabs 2238 and the side of the underpasses2235. In the case where the sides of the retention tabs 2238 contact thesides of the underpasses 2235, the battery 2202 may be generally fixedin the x direction.

The tapered shape of the retention tabs 2238 may help ensure that theretention tabs 2238 contact the sides of the underpasses 2235. Forexample, the size of the underpasses 2235 may be smaller than a maximumwidth of the retention tabs 2238. Thus, during assembly of the device inwhich the battery is translated in the positive y direction (e.g.upwards, as shown in FIG. 22G), the retention tabs 2238 may be pushedinto the underpasses 2235 until the sides of the retention tabs 2238contact the sides of the underpasses 2235. The physical interactionbetween the sides of the retention tabs 2238 and the sides of theunderpass 2235 may therefore fix the position of the battery in both thepositive y direction and in the x direction. Once the retention tabs2238 are contacting the sides of the underpass 2235, the battery 2202may be secured to the housing (e.g., using adhesives as described withrespect to FIGS. 22A-22F, and/or with other fasteners, brackets, or thelike), thus fixing the battery in all directions.

In some cases, the battery 2202 itself or a portion of the retentionplate 2240 limits the travel of the battery 2202 in the y directionprior to the retention tabs 2238 contacting the underpass 2235. This mayhelp limit the variability in the position of the batteries acrossdevices, as different manufacturing tolerances for the retention tabs2238 and the underpasses 2235 may result in different products havingdifferent battery positioning.

In electronic devices as described herein (e.g., mobile phones), varioustypes of components or systems that are housed within the device needaccess to the external environment. For example, speakers, microphones,pressure sensors, cameras, etc., all need some type of access to theexternal environment (e.g., optical access, fluid/air access, etc.).Furthermore, in order to help prevent or limit air pressure differencesbetween an external environment and an internal volume of a device, aventing system may be provided so that the internal volume can pressureequalize with the external environment.

FIGS. 23A-23G depict various examples of a module 2304 (e.g., anacoustic module) that includes at least a pressure sensor and amicrophone, and optionally a venting system (also referred to as abarometric vent) all at least partially housed in an audio enclosure.The pressure sensor may be configured to detect a barometric pressure ofthe ambient environment, while the microphone may receive audio input,such as during a telephone call or a video recording. These componentsall rely on fluidic communication with the external environment in orderto operate effectively. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 23A, the module2304 may be positioned within a housing 2302 of a device 2300 proximateholes 2306 (e.g., an audio port or microphone port) and 2308 (e.g., aventing port). The holes 2306, 2308 extend through the housing 2302 froman exterior surface of the housing 2302 to an interior surface of thehousing 2302.

In some cases, multiple systems of the module 2304 are fluidicallycoupled to the external environment via a same hole. For example, asshown in FIG. 23B, a microphone 2322 may be operably coupled (e.g.,fluidically coupled) to a first hole 2306 (e.g., the audio port or amicrophone port) via a first passage 2320 in the audio enclosure, and apressure sensor 2312 may be operably coupled (e.g., fluidically coupled)to the first hole 2306 via a second passage 2314 in the audio enclosure.Notably, the fluid path to both the microphone 2322 and the pressuresensor 2312 share a common volume 2310 in the first hole 2306.Separately, a barometric venting system 2316 may be fluidically coupledwith the second hole 2308 (e.g., a venting port) via a third passage2318 and configured to equalize an internal pressure within the housingwith an external pressure external to the housing.

Because the fluid paths to both the microphone 2322 and the pressuresensor 2312 share a common partially enclosed volume 2310 (and partiallydue to the different lengths of the first and second passages), soundwaves (e.g., air pressure waves) in the volume 2310, first passage 2320,and second passage 2314 may all be impacted by one another. Thus, forexample, sound waves travelling to the microphone 2322 through the firstpassage 2320 may be affected by the presence of (and/or properties of)the second passage 2314. In some cases, the fluidic coupling between thefirst and second passages 2320, 2314 may negatively affect the operationof the microphone 2322, such as by attenuating certain frequencies ofsound that would otherwise reach the microphone 2322. Such attenuationor other effects may be due, for example, to a resonance or otherphenomena caused by the first and second passages 2320, 2314 beingfluidically coupled at the common volume 2310. Accordingly, it may beadvantageous to reduce the extent and/or effect of the fluidic couplingbetween the first and second passages 2320, 2314, thereby improving theoverall function of the microphone 2322 and/or the pressure sensor 2312.

One technique for reducing the extent and/or effect of the fluidiccoupling between the first and second passages 2320, 2314 includesproviding a baffle somewhere between the first and second passages 2320,2314. FIG. 23C depicts an example in which a baffle 2324 (which may bean acoustic mesh) is positioned between two compliant gasket layers2332, 2334 and covers an opening to the second passage 2314 (e.g., it isbetween the end of the second passage 2314 and the audio port). Thebaffle 2324, or acoustic mesh, allows air to pass through it so that thepressure sensor 2312 (or other sensor or component) is still in fluidiccommunication with the external environment via the second passage 2314,while also providing an acoustic or fluidic dampening between the firstpassage 2320 and the second passage 2314. In this way, the negativeeffect of the second passage 2314 on sound waves passing through thefirst passage 2320 may be reduced or eliminated. In some cases, nobaffle or acoustic mesh is positioned over the opening to the firstpassage 2320.

The baffle 2324 may be formed from any suitable material or structure,such as an open-cell foam, metal mesh, air-permeable polymer mesh (e.g.,a polyethylene terephthalate mesh), fabric, perforated or semi-permeablepolymer film, or the like. The baffle 2324 may be captured between twogaskets 2332, 2334. The baffle 2324 may have an acoustic impedanceproperty or characteristic that reduces the impact of the second passage2314 on pressure waves in the first passage 2320, while also allowingair to pass into the second passage 2314 without significantly impactingthe operation of the pressure sensor 2312. For example, the baffle 2324may have an acoustic impedance of between about 100 and about 700 Rayl.In some cases, the baffle 2324 has an acoustic impedance of betweenabout 150 Rayl and about 300 Rayl. The baffle 2324 may have a thicknessbetween about 40 microns and about 100 microns.

The gaskets 2332, 2334 may hold the baffle 2324 in place over theopening of the second passage 2314, and also provide a seal between themodule 2304 and the housing 2302. The gaskets 2332, 2334 may each definea distinct hole 2336, 2338, respectively, corresponding to each of thefirst, second, and third passages 2320, 2314, 2318 of the module 2304.The holes 2336-1 and 2338-1 communicate with the microphone, and may bereferred to as acoustic holes, and the holes 2336-2 and 2338-2communicate with the pressure sensor and may be referred to as pressureholes Both the hole 2336-1 and the hole 2336-2 may open to the samepartially enclosed volume of the audio port 2306 in the housing 2302,and thus serve as the openings where the passages 2320, 2314 ultimatelyopen into the common volume 2310.

The gaskets 2332, 2334 may be or may be formed from adhesive films, suchas a PSA film, and may adhesively bond to the housing 2302, the module2304, the baffle 2324, and/or each other. In some cases, the gaskets2332, 2334 are formed from or include compliant materials, such as afoam, elastomer, polymer, or the like. The gaskets 2332, 2334 may becompressed between (and optionally deformed by) the module 2304 and thehousing 2302.

FIG. 23D depicts another example module 2340 (e.g., acoustic module)that includes at least a pressure sensor 2342 and a microphone 2349, andoptionally a barometric vent (similar to or the same as the barometricvent shown in FIG. 23B). The microphone 2349 and pressure sensor 2342are both fluidically coupled to a common volume within the module 2340,as well as the common volume 2310 defined by the housing 2302 (whenintegrated into a device as shown in FIGS. 23A-23B). In particular, themodule 2340 defines a first passage 2348 that extends from the opening2341 in the module 2340 to a second passage 2344. The microphone 2349(or an opening that fluidically couples to a microphone) is positionedin the first passage 2348, and the second passage 2344 fluidicallycouples the first passage 2348 to the pressure sensor 2342. A baffle2346 is positioned between the first passage 2348 and the second passage2344.

The baffle 2346 may be formed from any suitable material or structure,such as an open-cell foam, metal mesh, polymer mesh (e.g., apolyethylene terephthalate mesh), fabric, perforated or semi-permeablepolymer film, or the like. The baffle 2346 may include or beincorporated with adhesives (e.g., an adhesive gasket) to secure thebaffle 2346 in place between the first and second passages 2348, 2344.The baffle 2346 may have an acoustic impedance property orcharacteristic that reduces the impact of the second passage 2344 onpressure waves in the first passage 2348, while also allowing air topass into the second passage 2344 without significantly impacting theoperation of the pressure sensor 2342. For example, the baffle 2346 mayhave an acoustic impedance of between about 100 and about 700 Rayl. Insome cases, the baffle 2346 has an acoustic impedance of between about150 Rayl and about 300 Rayl. The baffle 2346 may have a thicknessbetween about 40 microns and about 100 microns.

FIG. 23E depicts another example module 2350 (e.g., acoustic module)that includes at least a pressure sensor and a microphone, andoptionally a barometric vent (similar to or the same as the barometricvent shown in FIG. 23B). The microphone and pressure sensor are bothfluidically coupled to the common volume 2310 defined by the housing2302 when integrated into a device as shown in FIGS. 23A-23B. The module2350 defines a first passage 2354 that communicates with the commonvolume 2310 and is fluidically coupled to a microphone, and a secondpassage 2356 that communicates with the common volume 2310 and isfluidically coupled to a pressure sensor. The module 2350 also defines athird passage 2352 that is fluidically coupled to a barometric vent.

The module 2350 also defines a recess 2355 in a mounting surface of themodule 2350. The openings to both of the first and second passages 2354,2356 are within the recess. A gasket 2357 may be positioned in therecess 2355. The gasket 2357 may have a thickness that is equal to orgreater than the recess 2355 such that the gasket 2357 contacts thesurface of the housing 2302 when the module 2350 is assembled into adevice, and optionally is compressed between the module 2350 and thehousing 2302. The gasket 2357 may define a first hole 2358, whichcorresponds to and/or is aligned with the opening to the first passage2354, and a second hole 2359, which corresponds to and/or is alignedwith the opening to the second passage 2356.

The gasket 2357 may include a baffle 2351 (e.g., an acoustic mesh)positioned in the second hole 2359 of the gasket 2357. When the gasket2357 is positioned in the recess 2355 and captured between the module2350 and the housing 2302, the baffle 2351 provides an acoustic orfluidic dampening between the first passage 2354 and the second passage2356. More particularly, because the first passage 2354 and the secondpassage 2356 (through the baffle 2351) both open directly into thecommon volume 2310, the baffle 2351 forms an air-permeable, acousticdampening barrier between the first and second passages 2354, 2356.

The baffle 2351 may be formed from any suitable material or structure,such as an open-cell foam, metal mesh, polymer mesh (e.g., apolyethylene terephthalate mesh), fabric, perforated or semi-permeablepolymer film, or the like. The baffle 2351 may be attached (e.g.,adhered) to a surface of the gasket 2357, or it may be positionedbetween layers of the gasket 2357 (e.g., where the gasket 2357 is formedof multiple layers, such as two layers of PSA film).

The baffle 2351 may have an acoustic impedance property orcharacteristic that reduces the impact of the second passage 2356 onpressure waves in the first passage 2354, while also allowing air topass into the second passage 2356 without significantly impacting theoperation of the pressure sensor. For example, the baffle 2351 may havean acoustic impedance of between about 100 and about 700 Rayl. In somecases, the baffle 2351 has an acoustic impedance of between about 150Rayl and about 300 Rayl. The baffle 2351 may have a thickness betweenabout 40 microns and about 100 microns.

FIG. 23F depicts another example module 2360 that includes at least apressure sensor and a microphone, and optionally a barometric vent(similar to or the same as the barometric vent shown in FIG. 23B). Themicrophone and pressure sensor are both fluidically coupled to thecommon volume 2310 defined by the housing 2302 when integrated into adevice as shown in FIGS. 23A-23B. The module 2360 defines a firstpassage 2364 that communicates with the common volume 2310 and isfluidically coupled to a microphone, and a second passage 2362 thatcommunicates with the common volume 2310 and is fluidically coupled to apressure sensor. The module 2360 also defines a third passage 2361 thatis fluidically coupled to a barometric vent.

In the example of FIG. 23F, a baffle 2369 (e.g., an acoustic mesh) isintegrated with a first gasket 2368. More particularly, the first gasket2368 may define a first hole 2367, which corresponds to and/or isaligned with the opening to the first passage 2364, a second hole 2366,which corresponds to and/or is aligned with the opening to the secondpassage 2362, and a third hole 2365, which corresponds to and/or isaligned with the opening to the third passage 2361. The baffle 2369 maybe positioned in the second hole 2366 of the first gasket 2368. When thefirst gasket 2368 is captured between the module 2360 and the housing2302, the baffle 2369 provides an acoustic or fluidic dampening betweenthe first passage 2364 and the second passage 2362. More particularly,because the first passage 2364 and the second passage 2362 (through thebaffle 2369) both open directly into the common volume 2310, the baffle2369 forms an air-permeable, acoustic dampening barrier between thefirst and second passages 2364, 2362.

The baffle 2369 may be formed from any suitable material or structure,such as an open-cell foam, metal mesh, polymer mesh (e.g., apolyethylene terephthalate mesh), fabric, perforated or semi-permeablepolymer film, or the like. The baffle 2369 may be attached (e.g.,adhered) to a surface of the first gasket 2368, or it may be positionedbetween layers of the first gasket 2368 (e.g., where the first gasket2368 is formed of multiple layers, such as two layers of PSA film).

The baffle 2369 may have an acoustic impedance property orcharacteristic that reduces the impact of the second passage 2362 onpressure waves in the first passage 2364, while also allowing air topass into the second passage 2362 without significantly impacting theoperation of the pressure sensor. For example, the baffle 2369 may havean acoustic impedance of between about 100 and about 700 Rayl. In somecases, the baffle 2369 has an acoustic impedance of between about 150Rayl and about 300 Rayl. The baffle 2369 may have a thickness betweenabout 40 microns and about 100 microns.

In some cases, a second gasket 2363 may be provided around the openingsto the first, second, and third passages 2364, 2362, 2361 of the module2360. The second gasket 2363 may be a compliant material, such asrubber, elastomer, foam, or the like, and may be compressed between orotherwise make contact with the module 2360 and the first gasket 2368.In some cases, the first and second gaskets are formed of differentmaterials and/or have different hardnesses. The second gasket 2363 andthe housing of the module 2360 may be formed together, such as via amulti-shot molding process in which the housing and the second gasket2363 are formed in the same mold to produce a unitary component withdifferent materials.

FIG. 23G depicts another example module 2370 (e.g., acoustic module)that includes at least a pressure sensor and a microphone, andoptionally a barometric vent (similar to or the same as the barometricvent shown in FIG. 23B). The microphone and pressure sensor are bothfluidically coupled to the common volume 2310 defined by the housing2302 when integrated into a device as shown in FIGS. 23A-23B. The module2370 defines a first passage 2374 that communicates with the commonvolume 2310 and is fluidically coupled to a microphone, and a secondpassage 2372 that communicates with the common volume 2310 and isfluidically coupled to a pressure sensor. The module 2370 also defines athird passage 2371 that is fluidically coupled to a barometric vent.

The module 2370 also defines a recess 2373 in a mounting surface of themodule 2370. The openings to the second passage 2372 is within therecess 2373, while the opening to the first passage 2374 is not withinthe recess. A gasket 2375 may be positioned in the recess 2373. Thegasket 2375 may have a thickness that is equal to or greater than therecess 2373 such that the gasket 2375 contacts the surface of thehousing 2302 when the module 2370 is assembled into a device, andoptionally is compressed between the module 2370 and the housing 2302.

The gasket 2375 may include a baffle 2376 (e.g., an acoustic mesh)positioned in a hole defined in the gasket 2375. When the gasket 2375 ispositioned in the recess 2373 and captured between the module 2370 andthe housing 2302, the baffle 2376 provides an acoustic or fluidicdampening between the first passage 2374 and the second passage 2372.More particularly, because the first passage 2374 and the second passage2372 (through the baffle 2376) both open directly into the common volume2310, the baffle 2376 forms an air-permeable, acoustic dampening barrierbetween the first and second passages 2374, 2372.

The baffle 2376 may be formed from any suitable material or structure,such as an open-cell foam, metal mesh, polymer mesh (e.g., apolyethylene terephthalate mesh), fabric, perforated or semi-permeablepolymer film, or the like. The baffle 2376 may be attached (e.g.,adhered) to a surface of the gasket 2375, or it may be positionedbetween layers of the gasket 2375 (e.g., where the gasket 2375 is formedof multiple layers, such as two layers of PSA film).

The baffle 2376 may have an acoustic impedance property orcharacteristic that reduces the impact of the second passage 2372 onpressure waves in the first passage 2374, while also allowing air topass into the second passage 2372 without significantly impacting theoperation of the pressure sensor. For example, the baffle 2376 may havean acoustic impedance of between about 100 and about 700 Rayl. In somecases, the baffle 2376 has an acoustic impedance of between about 150Rayl and about 300 Rayl. The baffle 2376 may have a thickness betweenabout 40 microns and about 100 microns.

As noted above, modules for use in electronic devices may includebarometric vents. The barometric vents may define a passage between theinternal volume of the device and the exterior environment to allowpressure equalization between the internal volume and the exteriorenvironment. In some cases, the barometric vents include anair-permeable, waterproof component (e.g., an air-permeable, waterproofpolymer membrane) to allow air to pass between the internal volume andthe exterior environment (to allow for pressure equalization), whileinhibiting or limiting passage of water or other liquids orcontaminants.

FIG. 24 depicts an example schematic diagram of an electronic device2400. The electronic device 2400 may be an embodiment of or otherwiserepresent the device 100 (or other devices described herein, such as thedevices 100, 140, 200, 300, 400, 900, 1300, 1400, 1700, 2200, or thelike). The device 2400 includes one or more processing units 2401 thatare configured to access a memory 2402 having instructions storedthereon. The instructions or computer programs may be configured toperform one or more of the operations or functions described withrespect to the electronic devices described herein. For example, theinstructions may be configured to control or coordinate the operation ofone or more displays 2408, one or more touch sensors 2403, one or moreforce sensors 2405, one or more communication channels 2404, one or moreaudio input systems 2409, one or more audio output systems 2410, one ormore positioning systems 2411, one or more sensors 2412, and/or one ormore haptic feedback devices 2406.

The processing units 2401 of FIG. 24 may be implemented as anyelectronic device capable of processing, receiving, or transmitting dataor instructions. For example, the processing units 2401 may include oneor more of: a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signalprocessor (DSP), or combinations of such devices. As described herein,the term “processor” is meant to encompass a single processor orprocessing unit, multiple processors, multiple processing units, orother suitably configured computing element or elements. The processingunits 2401 may be coupled to a logic board, such as the logic board 2100of FIG. 21A.

The memory 2402 can store electronic data that can be used by the device2400. For example, a memory can store electrical data or content suchas, for example, audio and video files, images, documents andapplications, device settings and user preferences, programs,instructions, timing and control signals or data for the variousmodules, data structures or databases, and so on. The memory 2402 can beconfigured as any type of memory. By way of example only, the memory canbe implemented as random access memory, read-only memory, Flash memory,removable memory, or other types of storage elements, or combinations ofsuch devices. The memory 2402 may be coupled to a logic board, such asthe logic board 2100 of FIG. 21A.

The touch sensors 2403 may detect various types of touch-based inputsand generate signals or data that are able to be accessed usingprocessor instructions. The touch sensors 2403 may use any suitablecomponents and may rely on any suitable phenomena to detect physicalinputs. For example, the touch sensors 2403 may be capacitive touchsensors, resistive touch sensors, acoustic wave sensors, or the like.The touch sensors 2403 may include any suitable components for detectingtouch-based inputs and generating signals or data that are able to beaccessed using processor instructions, including electrodes (e.g.,electrode layers), physical components (e.g., substrates, spacinglayers, structural supports, compressible elements, etc.), processors,circuitry, firmware, and the like. The touch sensors 2403 may beintegrated with or otherwise configured to detect touch inputs appliedto any portion of the device 2400. For example, the touch sensors 2403may be configured to detect touch inputs applied to any portion of thedevice 2400 that includes a display (and may be integrated with adisplay). The touch sensors 2403 may operate in conjunction with theforce sensors 2405 to generate signals or data in response to touchinputs. A touch sensor or force sensor that is positioned over a displaysurface or otherwise integrated with a display may be referred to hereinas a touch-sensitive display, force-sensitive display, or touchscreen.

The force sensors 2405 may detect various types of force-based inputsand generate signals or data that are able to be accessed usingprocessor instructions. The force sensors 2405 may use any suitablecomponents and may rely on any suitable phenomena to detect physicalinputs. For example, the force sensors 2405 may be strain-based sensors,piezoelectric-based sensors, piezoresistive-based sensors, capacitivesensors, resistive sensors, or the like. The force sensors 2405 mayinclude any suitable components for detecting force-based inputs andgenerating signals or data that are able to be accessed using processorinstructions, including electrodes (e.g., electrode layers), physicalcomponents (e.g., substrates, spacing layers, structural supports,compressible elements, etc.), processors, circuitry, firmware, and thelike. The force sensors 2405 may be used in conjunction with variousinput mechanisms to detect various types of inputs. For example, theforce sensors 2405 may be used to detect presses or other force inputsthat satisfy a force threshold (which may represent a more forcefulinput than is typical for a standard “touch” input). Like the touchsensors 2403, the force sensors 2405 may be integrated with or otherwiseconfigured to detect force inputs applied to any portion of the device2400. For example, the force sensors 2405 may be configured to detectforce inputs applied to any portion of the device 2400 that includes adisplay (and may be integrated with a display). The force sensors 2405may operate in conjunction with the touch sensors 2403 to generatesignals or data in response to touch- and/or force-based inputs.

The device 2400 may also include one or more haptic devices 2406 (e.g.,the haptic actuator 222, 322 of FIGS. 2-3 ). The haptic device 2406 mayinclude one or more of a variety of haptic technologies such as, but notnecessarily limited to, rotational haptic devices, linear actuators,piezoelectric devices, vibration elements, and so on. In general, thehaptic device 2406 may be configured to provide punctuated and distinctfeedback to a user of the device. More particularly, the haptic device2406 may be adapted to produce a knock or tap sensation and/or avibration sensation. Such haptic outputs may be provided in response todetection of touch and/or force inputs, and may be imparted to a userthrough the exterior surface of the device 2400 (e.g., via a glass orother surface that acts as a touch- and/or force-sensitive display orsurface).

The one or more communication channels 2404 may include one or morewireless interface(s) that are adapted to provide communication betweenthe processing unit(s) 2401 and an external device. The one or morecommunication channels 2404 may include antennas (e.g., antennas thatinclude or use the housing members of the housing 104 as radiatingmembers), communications circuitry, firmware, software, or any othercomponents or systems that facilitate wireless communications with otherdevices. In general, the one or more communication channels 2404 may beconfigured to transmit and receive data and/or signals that may beinterpreted by instructions executed on the processing units 2401. Insome cases, the external device is part of an external communicationnetwork that is configured to exchange data with wireless devices.Generally, the wireless interface may communicate via, withoutlimitation, radio frequency, optical, acoustic, and/or magnetic signalsand may be configured to operate over a wireless interface or protocol.Example wireless interfaces include radio frequency cellular interfaces(e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 4G long-term evolution (LTE), 5G, GSM, CDMA, or thelike), fiber optic interfaces, acoustic interfaces, Bluetoothinterfaces, infrared interfaces, USB interfaces, Wi-Fi interfaces,TCP/IP interfaces, network communications interfaces, or anyconventional communication interfaces. The one or more communicationschannels 2404 may also include ultra-wideband interfaces, which mayinclude any appropriate communications circuitry, instructions, andnumber and position of suitable UWB antennas.

As shown in FIG. 24 , the device 2400 may include a battery 2407 that isused to store and provide power to the other components of the device2400. The battery 2407 may be a rechargeable power supply that isconfigured to provide power to the device 2400. The battery 2407 may becoupled to charging systems (e.g., wired and/or wireless chargingsystems) and/or other circuitry to control the electrical power providedto the battery 2407 and to control the electrical power provided fromthe battery 2407 to the device 2400.

The device 2400 may also include one or more displays 2408 configured todisplay graphical outputs. The displays 2408 may use any suitabledisplay technology, including liquid crystal displays (LCD), organiclight emitting diodes (OLED), active-matrix organic light-emitting diodedisplays (AMOLED), or the like. The displays 2408 may display graphicaluser interfaces, images, icons, or any other suitable graphical outputs.The display 2408 may correspond to a display 103, 203, 303, 610.

The device 2400 may also provide audio input functionality via one ormore audio input systems 2409. The audio input systems 2409 may includemicrophones, transducers, or other devices that capture sound for voicecalls, video calls, audio recordings, video recordings, voice commands,and the like.

The device 2400 may also provide audio output functionality via one ormore audio output systems (e.g., speakers) 2410, such as the speakersystems and/or modules 224, 250, 324, 350, 620. The audio output systems2410 may produce sound from voice calls, video calls, streaming or localaudio content, streaming or local video content, or the like.

The device 2400 may also include a positioning system 2411. Thepositioning system 2411 may be configured to determine the location ofthe device 2400. For example, the positioning system 2411 may includemagnetometers, gyroscopes, accelerometers, optical sensors, cameras,global positioning system (GPS) receivers, inertial positioning systems,or the like. The positioning system 2411 may be used to determinespatial parameters of the device 2400, such as the location of thedevice 2400 (e.g., geographical coordinates of the device), measurementsor estimates of physical movement of the device 2400, an orientation ofthe device 2400, or the like.

The device 2400 may also include one or more additional sensors 2412 toreceive inputs (e.g., from a user or another computer, device, system,network, etc.) or to detect any suitable property or parameter of thedevice, the environment surrounding the device, people, or thingsinteracting with the device (or nearby the device), or the like. Forexample, a device may include temperature sensors, biometric sensors(e.g., fingerprint sensors, photoplethysmographs, blood-oxygen sensors,blood sugar sensors, or the like), eye-tracking sensors, retinalscanners, humidity sensors, buttons, switches, lid-closure sensors, orthe like.

To the extent that multiple functionalities, operations, and structuresdescribed with reference to FIG. 24 are disclosed as being part of,incorporated into, or performed by the device 2400, it should beunderstood that various embodiments may omit any or all such describedfunctionalities, operations, and structures. Thus, different embodimentsof the device 2400 may have some, none, or all of the variouscapabilities, apparatuses, physical features, modes, and operatingparameters discussed herein. Further, the systems included in the device2400 are not exclusive, and the device 2400 may include alternative oradditional systems, components, modules, programs, instructions, or thelike, that may be necessary or useful to perform the functions describedherein.

As described above, one aspect of the present technology is thegathering and use of data available from various sources to improve theusefulness and functionality of devices such as mobile phones. Thepresent disclosure contemplates that in some instances, this gathereddata may include personal information data that uniquely identifies orcan be used to contact or locate a specific person. Such personalinformation data can include demographic data, location-based data,telephone numbers, email addresses, twitter ID's, home addresses, dataor records relating to a user's health or level of fitness (e.g., vitalsigns measurements, medication information, exercise information), dateof birth, or any other identifying or personal information.

The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personalinformation data, in the present technology, can be used to the benefitof users. For example, the personal information data can be used tolocate devices, deliver targeted content that is of greater interest tothe user, or the like. Further, other uses for personal information datathat benefit the user are also contemplated by the present disclosure.For instance, health and fitness data may be used to provide insightsinto a user's general wellness, or may be used as positive feedback toindividuals using technology to pursue wellness goals.

The present disclosure contemplates that the entities responsible forthe collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use ofsuch personal information data will comply with well-established privacypolicies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities shouldimplement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that aregenerally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmentalrequirements for maintaining personal information data private andsecure. Such policies should be easily accessible by users, and shouldbe updated as the collection and/or use of data changes. Personalinformation from users should be collected for legitimate and reasonableuses of the entity and not shared or sold outside of those legitimateuses. Further, such collection/sharing should occur after receiving theinformed consent of the users. Additionally, such entities shouldconsider taking any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access tosuch personal information data and ensuring that others with access tothe personal information data adhere to their privacy policies andprocedures. Further, such entities can subject themselves to evaluationby third parties to certify their adherence to widely accepted privacypolicies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should beadapted for the particular types of personal information data beingcollected and/or accessed and adapted to applicable laws and standards,including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For instance, in the US,collection of or access to certain health data may be governed byfederal and/or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act (HIPAA); whereas health data in other countries maybe subject to other regulations and policies and should be handledaccordingly. Hence different privacy practices should be maintained fordifferent personal data types in each country.

Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplatesembodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to,personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplatesthat hardware and/or software elements can be provided to prevent orblock access to such personal information data. For example, in the caseof advertisement delivery services, the present technology can beconfigured to allow users to select to “opt in” or “opt out” ofparticipation in the collection of personal information data duringregistration for services or anytime thereafter. In addition toproviding “opt in” and “opt out” options, the present disclosurecontemplates providing notifications relating to the access or use ofpersonal information. For instance, a user may be notified upondownloading an app that their personal information data will be accessedand then reminded again just before personal information data isaccessed by the app.

Moreover, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personalinformation data should be managed and handled in a way to minimizerisks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can beminimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once itis no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including incertain health related applications, data de-identification can be usedto protect a user's privacy. De-identification may be facilitated, whenappropriate, by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth,etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g.,collecting location data at a city level rather than at an addresslevel), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data acrossusers), and/or other methods.

Therefore, although the present disclosure broadly covers use ofpersonal information data to implement one or more various disclosedembodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that the variousembodiments can also be implemented without the need for accessing suchpersonal information data. That is, the various embodiments of thepresent technology are not rendered inoperable due to the lack of all ora portion of such personal information data. For example, content can beselected and delivered to users by inferring preferences based onnon-personal information data or a bare minimum amount of personalinformation, such as the content being requested by the deviceassociated with a user, other non-personal information available to thecontent delivery services, or publicly available information.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specificembodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustrationand description. They are not targeted to be exhaustive or to limit theembodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations arepossible in view of the above teachings. Also, when used herein to referto positions of components, the terms above, below, over, under, left,or right (or other similar relative position terms), do not necessarilyrefer to an absolute position relative to an external reference, butinstead refer to the relative position of components within the figurebeing referred to. Similarly, horizontal and vertical orientations maybe understood as relative to the orientation of the components withinthe figure being referred to, unless an absolute horizontal or verticalorientation is indicated.

Features, structures, configurations, components, techniques, etc. shownor described with respect to any given figure (or otherwise described inthe application) may be used with features, structures, configurations,components, techniques, etc. described with respect to other figures.For example, any given figure of the instant application should not beunderstood to be limited to only those features, structures,configurations, components, techniques, etc. shown in that particularfigure. Similarly, features, structures, configurations, components,techniques, etc. shown only in different figures may be used orimplemented together. Further, features, structures, configurations,components, techniques, etc. that are shown or described together may beimplemented separately and/or combined with other features, structures,configurations, components, techniques, etc. from other figures orportions of the instant specification. Further, for ease of illustrationand explanation, figures of the instant application may depict certaincomponents and/or sub-assemblies in isolation from other componentsand/or sub-assemblies of an electronic device, though it will beunderstood that components and sub-assemblies that are illustrated inisolation may in some cases be considered different portions of a singleelectronic device (e.g., a single embodiment that includes multiple ofthe illustrated components and/or sub-assemblies).

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable electronic device comprising: ahousing; a display at least partially within the housing; a front covercoupled to the housing and positioned over the display; and a biometricsensor module configured to illuminate an object and capture an image ofthe object through the front cover, the biometric sensor modulecomprising: a first lens positioned below the front cover; a first lightsource positioned below a central region of the first lens andconfigured to project, through the first lens, a dot pattern on theobject; a second light source positioned below a peripheral region ofthe first lens and configured to illuminate, through the first lens, theobject with a flood of light; a second lens positioned below the frontcover; and a light sensor positioned below the second lens andconfigured to capture an image of the object.
 2. The portable electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein: the object is a user's face; and theportable electronic device is configured to: determine a depth map ofthe user's face using the dot pattern projected onto the user's face;and authenticate the user based at least in part on the depth map of theuser's face.
 3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein: thefirst light source projects infrared light; the flood of light isinfrared light; and the light sensor is an infrared light sensor.
 4. Theportable electronic device of claim 1, wherein: light from the firstlight source passing through the central region of the first lens isrendered in focus on the object; and light from the second light sourcepassing through the peripheral region of the first lens is rendered outof focus on the object.
 5. The portable electronic device of claim 1,wherein: the biometric sensor module comprises a housing structure; andthe first lens, the first light source, the second lens, the secondlight source, and the light sensor are positioned at least partiallywithin the housing structure.
 6. The portable electronic device of claim1, wherein the second light source comprises a radial array oflight-emitting elements.
 7. The portable electronic device of claim 1,wherein the peripheral region of the first lens is configured to blurlight emitted by the second light source.
 8. The portable electronicdevice of claim 7, wherein the central region of the first lens isconfigured to focus light emitted by the first light source.
 9. A mobilephone comprising: a housing; a display at least partially within thehousing; a front cover coupled to the housing and positioned over thedisplay; a light emitter below the front cover and configured to emitlight through the front cover, the light emitter comprising: a firstlens positioned below the front cover; a first light source positionedbelow a central region of the first lens, the central region configuredfocus a pattern of light emitted by the first light source; and a secondlight source positioned below a peripheral region of the first lens, theperipheral region configured to blur light emitted by the second lightsource; and a light receiver below the front cover and comprising: asecond lens positioned below the front cover and configured to receivelight through the front cover; and a light sensor positioned below thesecond lens.
 10. The mobile phone of claim 9, wherein: the first lightsource is aligned with an optical axis of the first lens; and the secondlight source is offset from the optical axis of the first lens.
 11. Themobile phone of claim 9, wherein the pattern of light is a grid ofdiscrete points of infrared light.
 12. The mobile phone of claim 11,wherein the light emitted by the second light source is configured toilluminate the object with a flood of infrared light.
 13. The mobilephone of claim 11, wherein the light receiver is configured to capturean infrared image of the object while the pattern of light is focused onthe object.
 14. The mobile phone of claim 9, wherein the light emitterand the light receiver are positioned at least partially within ahousing structure of a biometric sensor module.
 15. A portableelectronic device comprising: a housing; a display at least partiallywithin the housing; a front cover coupled to the housing and positionedover the display; and a biometric sensor module configured to illuminatea face of a user and to capture an image of the face of the user throughthe front cover, the biometric sensor module comprising: a housingstructure; a first lens at least partially within the housing structure;a light sensor positioned below the first lens; a second lens at leastpartially within the housing structure; a first light source positionedbelow a central region of the second lens and configured to project afirst illumination pattern on the face of the user; and a second lightsource positioned below a peripheral region of the second lens andconfigured to project a second illumination pattern of light that, whenreflected off of the face of the user and captured by the light sensor,produces an image of the face of the user.
 16. The portable electronicdevice of claim 15, wherein the first illumination pattern is a set ofdiscrete points of light.
 17. The portable electronic device of claim15, wherein the first light source is an infrared laser light source.18. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein: the infraredlaser light source is a first infrared laser light source; and thesecond light source is a second infrared laser light source.
 19. Theportable electronic device of claim 18, wherein: the first infraredlaser light source is a first vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser;and the second infrared laser light source is a second vertical-cavitysurface-emitting laser.
 20. The portable electronic device of claim 15,wherein: the peripheral region of the second lens is configured to blurlight emitted by the second light source.